Nigeria has cemented its role as a vital energy partner for Senegal, supplying the country’s only refinery in Dakar with Erha crude, even as Senegal marked its historic entry into the ranks of oil-producing nations last year.
Senegal commenced oil production in mid-2024 from the Sangomar field, which yields about 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of medium sour crude. The field produces at 31 degrees American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity with 1.0 percent sulphur content, industry analyst Kpler confirmed.
Although Senegal is now a producer, the bulk of Sangomar’s output is shipped abroad to markets in Europe, particularly Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. Industry findings revealed that nearly all volumes are exported, leaving Senegal unable to refine its own oil domestically.
The problem lies in crude specifications. Senegal’s 30,000 bpd Dakar Refinery is designed to process lighter, sweeter crude grades, unlike the heavier, more sulphurous Sangomar crude. As a result, the refinery sources its feedstock from Nigeria’s Erha crude, which has 36 degrees API and only 0.2 percent sulphur, making it perfectly suited for its configuration.
“Senegal’s 30 kbd Dakar refinery, configured to process lighter, sweeter crudes, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulphur), with imports into Dakar averaging 30 kbd in recent months,” Kpler reported.
okay.ng reports that this reliance has made Nigeria a lifeline for Senegal’s refining operations. However, the country’s fuel supply challenges are far from solved.
Despite crude inflows from Nigeria, Senegal remains heavily dependent on refined product imports. From 2024 to 2025, it imported between 90,000 and 100,000 barrels per day of refined fuels, with up to 60 percent sourced from Russia—primarily diesel, gasoil, and fuel oil.
“To fully meet domestic product demand, Senegal relies heavily on refined imports, particularly from Russia. Of the 90–100 kbd of refined products imported during 2024–2025, 50–60 per cent originated from Russia,” Kpler added.
While Phase 2 of the Sangomar project—covering 33 new wells and expected to commence by 2027—remains under review, industry experts expect Senegal’s crude output to stay steady at about 100,000 bpd. This means Nigerian crude and Russian refined imports will continue as the backbone of Senegal’s energy supply.
Meanwhile, the challenge of refinery feedstock also echoes back home. Nigerian refineries, including the Dangote refinery, have raised concerns about limited domestic crude allocation, forcing them to increasingly turn to United States supplies.
