Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery, the largest oil refinery in Africa, is expanding its search for crude oil supplies beyond Brazil by discussions with Libya and also exploring options to source oil from Angola for its 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) plant.
The long-awaited $20 billion refinery has been hailed as a transformative force for Nigeria and the energy sector across sub-Saharan Africa.
However, since the refinery began operations in January, it has faced difficulties in securing adequate crude supplies within Nigeria.
Read also: Dangote Refinery expands crude oil sources, imports Brazilian cargo
Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria grapples with issues such as theft, pipeline vandalism, and low investment. As a result, Dangote has had to import crude from distant sources like Brazil and the United States.
“We are talking to Libya about importing crude. We will talk to Angola as well and some other countries in Africa,” Devakumar Edwin, Dangote refinery senior executive told Reuters.
He added that international traders and oil companies are among the largest buyers of Dangote’s gasoil, much of which is being exported.
“The biggest offtakers are the two big traders Trafigura and Vitol and BP and, to some extent, even TotalEnergies. But all of them are saying they are taking it to offshore,” Edwin said.
Traders and shipping data indicate that Dangote is ramping up gasoil exports to West Africa, capturing market share from European refiners.
Edwin stated that Dangote’s oil trading arm is now operational, with staff based in London and Lagos, to manage supplies and sell products. Reuters first reported on the planned trading arm in March.
Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) recently claimed that the sulphur content in its gasoil exceeds the required limit of 200 parts per million (ppm). However, Dangote refuted claims that petroleum products from his refinery are substandard.
Read also: Nigeria’s crude oil output rises to 1.28million bpd in June – OPEC
Dangote recently revealed plans to list the fertilizer and petrochemical divisions of the Dangote Refinery on the stock exchange in the first quarter of 2025.
The refinery was recently ranked above Europe’s 10 largest refining facilities.
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