Nigeria's new 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery looks ready to start production after receiving a sixth cargo of crude, the company told Argus today.
Dangote Ports Operations' managing director Akin Omole said this sixth cargo will enable the refinery to being initial production, starting with diesel, jet fuel and LPG, and then gasoline.
The latest cargo was 1mn bl of light sweet domestic grade Agbami delivered on the Almi Sun to one of the refinery's single point moorings (SPM), according to the Dangote Group. It did not confirm the arrival date, although a crude trader in Nigeria said the delivery was made on Monday, 8 January.
This would suggest the refinery received the latest cargo exactly a month after its first 1mn bl shipment of Agbami. The other four cargoes included one of light sweet Bonny Light, two of very light Amenam Blend and one of light sweet CJ Blend, according to sources. The refinery can receive crude through two SPMs situated 25km offshore. Three other SPMs can discharge oil products from the refinery.
The refinery will play a role in addressing fuel supply issues in Nigeria and west Africa, Dangote told Argus today. Nigerian consumption of gasoline, known locally as premium motor spirit (PMS), is more than three times higher than that of diesel — or automotive gasoil (AGO). Dangote said in October last year that it projects Nigerian demand at 1mn t/month and 350,000 t/month of gasoline and diesel, respectively, which broadly tallies with the most recent daily deliveries data published by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
But all products from the refinery will conform to Euro V specifications, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and NMDPRA emission standards, suggesting product could be marketed to US and European consumers. Dangote said it anticipates having 100,000 t/month and 525,000 t/month of gasoline and diesel, respectively, available for export.
Dangote may be drawn towards distillates production, despite Nigeria's gasoline undersupply, since it has been more profitable for refiners to prioritise distillate runs over lighter end products for much of the past year. In December, European diesel cargo margins against North Sea Dated Brent averaged $28.42/bl and jet margins were $29.72/bl. Gasoline Eurobob non-oxy barge margins were $9.14/bl in that month.

