Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has significantly increased fuel exports to international markets, capitalizing on refinery shutdowns in the Middle East, Punch reports.
A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Lekki-based $20 billion facility shipped large volumes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel (Automotive Gas Oil, AGO), and aviation fuel (Jet A1) to foreign buyers in August.
According to the source, “We export PMS, AGO, and Jet A1 regularly.”
The refinery had previously delivered two long-range cargoes to the Gulf region between June and July.
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Industry data from Argus Media indicates that a heavy maintenance season in the Middle East is expected to tighten gasoline markets further in the fourth quarter, prompting regional suppliers to increase imports.
Saudi Arabia has already shut down two refineries and plans additional maintenance in the coming months, including a 60-day halt at Aramco’s 460,000 barrels-per-day Satorp refinery in Jubail and work at its Riyadh facility.
Other Aramco sites, including the 400,000 b/d Jizan and Yasref refineries, are also running at reduced capacity.
Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah refinery will undergo a 30-day maintenance period starting October 1. Rising domestic demand in India is expected to further limit exports.
Ship-tracking data from Vortexa shows gasoline imports into the Middle East surged to a seven-month high, with total imports reaching 1.03 million tonnes in July—a 35% increase from June.
Saudi Arabia’s imports jumped from 144,000 tonnes in June to 478,000 tonnes in July, while the UAE imported 864,000 tonnes in August, up from 648,000 tonnes in July.
Notably, 291,000 tonnes of gasoline arrived in Saudi Arabia from European ports, the highest since December 2024.
Domestically, the Dangote refinery is continuing to expand production.
Despite reports suggesting operational issues at its 650,000 b/d capacity facility, the refinery denied any disruptions and announced plans to scale output to 700,000 b/d by December.
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Argus Media noted that previous LR cargoes shipped from Dangote during tight market conditions in June-July could increase if residual issues are resolved.
In February, Dangote Group President Alhaji Aliko Dangote highlighted the refinery’s success in exporting two cargoes of jet fuel to Saudi Aramco, underscoring Nigeria’s emergence as a net exporter of refined products.
Between June and July 2025 alone, the refinery exported approximately 1 million tonnes of PMS.
Dangote stated, “We are reaching the ambitious goals we set for ourselves, and I’m pleased to announce that we’ve just sold two cargoes of jet fuel to Saudi Aramco.”
Industry analysts suggest that ongoing refinery shutdowns in the Middle East could provide further export opportunities for Nigeria’s largest refinery.
Image Credit: Business Day
