Dangote Refinery has marked another milestone in its journey towards the commencement of refined petroleum product production by receiving an additional one million barrels of Bonny Light crude from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
This delivery, the second in a series, is part of the six million barrels expected by the world’s largest single-train refinery.
The recent batch of crude was supplied via the MT Otis owned by Trafigural, originating from the Shell terminal.
Just a week ago, the refinery received one million barrels of Agbami crude grade from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO).
Both deliveries form part of the larger consignment that will set the stage for the refinery’s initial operations.
Akin Omole, Managing Director of Dangote Ports Operations, shared the development with reporters at the Dangote Quay in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
He noted that more crudes are anticipated before the end of the year to ensure the refinery is well-positioned to commence operations.
The six million barrels, once fully delivered, will facilitate the preliminary run of the refinery and initiate the production of diesel, aviation fuel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), eventually progressing to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Dangote Refinery, designed for 100% Nigerian crude with the flexibility to process other varieties, holds the capacity to meet the country’s entire demand for refined products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation jet.
Furthermore, the refinery is expected to have a surplus of these products for export, playing a significant role in addressing fuel supply challenges in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries.
The refinery boasts the capability to process most African crude grades, Middle Eastern Arab Light, and even US Light tight oil.
It features a self-sufficient marine facility, capable of handling the largest vessels globally. The refinery complies with global emission standards, including US EPA, European norms, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) emission/effluent norms, and African Refiners and Distribution Association (ARDA) standards.
Upon receiving the first consignment, Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, expressed delight, stating, “We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone. This is an important achievement for our country as it demonstrates our ability to develop and deliver large capital projects. Our focus over the coming months is to ramp up the refinery to its full capacity. I look forward to the next significant milestone when we deliver the first batch of products to the Nigerian market.”
Osagie Okunbor, Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, also commented, “We welcome the startup of a refinery that is designed to produce gasoline, diesel, and low-sulphur fuels for Nigeria and across West Africa and are happy to be enabling it.”
