Dangote Refinery Receives Second Ghana Crude Shipment as Maintenance Cuts Intake
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has received its second crude oil shipment from Ghana, strengthening its shift toward West African feedstocks as the plant prepares for extensive maintenance. Industry data indicates that the latest cargo—Ghana’s Sankofa grade—arrived in November, marking only the second time the refinery has sourced crude from the country. The move aligns with Dangote’s strategy to prioritize regional and domestic barrels as operations stabilize.
Tracking reports from Kpler show that crude deliveries to the refinery averaged about 380,000 barrels per day between September and November, a sharp decline from the July–August peak. This drop comes amid recurring outages and upcoming maintenance activities affecting key processing units. Notably, the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit entered a two-month shutdown on December 4, while the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) is scheduled for a one-week outage in late January.
With the refinery reducing intake, crude purchases from Europe—especially from the North Sea and Mediterranean—have fallen significantly. November supplies were dominated by Nigerian grades including Bonny Light, Amenam, Forcados, Utapate, and Qua Iboe, with Ghana’s Sankofa standing out as the only non-Nigerian crude. Analysts say the shift reflects the refinery’s preference for shorter voyage times and flexible scheduling as it navigates maintenance season.
The reduced crude run has already begun impacting Nigeria’s downstream market. Kpler data shows that petrol production at Dangote is expected to fall to around 80,000 barrels per day during December–February, down from recent levels of 100,000–130,000 barrels per day. As a result, Nigeria’s petrol imports surged in November, doubling to roughly 300,000 barrels per day—the highest in more than a year. Much of this increased supply has come from European refiners responding to Nigeria’s stronger pull on their product.
Despite these challenges, the refinery says Nigerians should not expect fuel shortages during the festive season. Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, announced that the refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of petrol in December and another 1.5 billion litres in January, with an increase to 1.7 billion litres in February. This commitment, equivalent to 50–60 million litres per day, aims to ensure stable nationwide fuel availability through the New Year.
source: punch