Nigeria has emerged as a lifeline for Senegal’s energy sector, supplying the bulk of crude oil to the country’s only refinery, despite Senegal celebrating its entry into the club of oil-producing nations just last year. According to a fresh report by global energy analytics firm Kpler, Senegal’s 30,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) Dakar Refinery depends almost entirely on Nigeria’s Erha crude to stay operational.
Senegal began pumping oil in mid-2024 from its flagship Sangomar field, producing around 100,000 bpd of medium sour crude. However, instead of fueling the domestic economy, nearly all of this output is shipped to Europe, with Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands receiving the lion’s share. Experts note that the crude from Sangomar is heavier and more sulphurous, making it unsuitable for the Dakar Refinery, which was designed for lighter and sweeter crude blends.
This gap has positioned Nigeria as a crucial partner. The Dakar Refinery’s processing system is tailored for grades like Nigeria’s Erha crude, which is lighter (36° API) and has very low sulphur content (0.2%). In recent months, Senegal has imported around 30,000 bpd of Erha, effectively matching the refinery’s entire capacity. Energy experts say this underscores Nigeria’s growing importance in West Africa’s oil supply chain, even as it struggles with crude availability for its own refineries back home.
Despite this dependence on Nigerian crude, Senegal’s fuel needs extend far beyond its refinery’s capacity. Between 2024 and 2025, the country imported 90,000–100,000 bpd of refined petroleum products, with Russia supplying nearly 60% of these imports, mostly in the form of diesel, fuel oil, and gasoil. This highlights a paradox: while Senegal is an oil-exporting nation, it still leans heavily on Nigeria for crude refinery feedstock and on Russia for finished fuels to power its economy.
Looking ahead, Phase 2 of the Sangomar project, which involves 33 new wells and a possible 2027 startup, may expand Senegal’s crude production, but experts predict that domestic consumption patterns will remain unchanged. Until local refineries are reconfigured or new ones are built, Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian fuel imports will remain central to Senegal’s energy balance. Meanwhile, Nigeria faces its own refinery supply crisis, with the newly launched Dangote Refinery already importing crude from the U.S. to sustain operations, an ironic reminder of Africa’s complex oil supply puzzle.
source: punch