Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has imported crude oil from Ghana for the first time, marking a diversification strategy as questions persist over its operational performance.
According to energy analytics firm Kpler, the refinery is currently processing about 450,000 barrels per day (bpd)—roughly 70% of its full capacity.
This output is higher than the 400,000 bpd (60% capacity) recorded earlier in the year, but still below expectations for the $20 billion facility.
The refinery’s latest feedstock includes Sankofa crude from Ghana, a medium-sweet grade with 29 API gravity and 0.3% sulphur, alongside Nigerian and U.S. supplies.
Kpler noted that in August, Dangote received five Nigerian Suezmax cargoes, two U.S. Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), and one shipment from Ghana.
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Brass River crude, absent for nearly a year, also returned to its crude slate.
Despite this diversification, Kpler observed that intake volumes slipped from a July peak of 570,000 bpd to about 450,000 bpd in August, a decline linked to maintenance at the refinery’s Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (RFCCU).
Dangote Industries, however, has dismissed speculation of technical problems.
The company’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, told The Guardian that reports of RFCC issues were “untrue” and “speculative,” stressing that operations remain on track.
This comes after S&P Global reported a temporary RFCC outage in August, which contributed to increased gasoline imports into West Africa.
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Nearly one million tonnes of gasoline were shipped from Northwest Europe and the Mediterranean into the region over the past month, with 65% arriving in Lomé, Togo, according to the outlet.
A senior refinery executive also told S&P Global Platts on August 21 that RFCC maintenance had been completed, with normal operations expected to resume by late August or early September.
Meanwhile, in Cameroon, state refiner Sonara has announced plans to restart operations at the long-idle Limbe Refinery by 2027, after an eight-year shutdown caused by fire—potentially reviving regional competition for Dangote and other players in West Africa’s refining sector.
IMage Credit: The Guardian Nigeria News
