Nigeria has emerged as a crucial crude supplier to Senegal’s only refinery, the 30,000-barrels-per-day Dakar Refinery, according to a new industry report.
Although Senegal joined the ranks of oil-producing nations in mid-2024 with production from the Sangomar field, its crude output has not been suitable for domestic refining.
Data from energy analytics firm Kpler shows that the Sangomar field currently produces about 100,000 barrels per day of medium sour crude (31° API, 1.0% sulphur). Nearly all of this is exported to Europe, with Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands being the primary destinations.
However, the heavier and more sulphurous nature of Sangomar’s crude makes it incompatible with the configuration of Senegal’s refinery, which was designed to process lighter, low-sulphur grades.
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To keep operations running, Dakar has turned to Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2% sulphur), which matches the plant’s processing capacity.
Kpler’s recent data indicates that Senegal has been importing about 30,000 barrels per day of Erha crude from Nigeria, underscoring Abuja’s vital role in sustaining Senegal’s refining operations.
“Senegal’s 30 kbd Dakar refinery, configured to process lighter, sweeter crudes, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude,” the report noted.
Despite this lifeline, Senegal still struggles to meet its domestic fuel demand and remains heavily reliant on imported refined products.
Between 2024 and 2025, the country imported 90,000 to 100,000 barrels per day of fuels—mainly gasoil, diesel, and fuel oil—with as much as 60% sourced from Russia.
This dynamic highlights Senegal’s paradox: while it is now an oil producer, it relies on Nigeria for crude feedstock and Russia for refined fuels.
Looking ahead, Phase 2 of the Sangomar project—expected to add 33 wells by 2027—could sustain crude output at around 100,000 barrels per day, but analysts expect the reliance on Nigerian and Russian supplies to continue.
Meanwhile, local refiners elsewhere in Africa have also voiced concerns about inadequate crude allocations.
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery, for example, has increasingly turned to U.S. crude supplies to maintain operations.
Image Credit: Peoples Daily Newspaper
