On Friday, production commenced at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company as it received its fifth shipment of one million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited. The 650,000 barrels-per-day facility, operational since May 2023, is designed to process crude oil from Africa, Asia, and America.
Akin Omole, the Managing Director of Dangote Ports Operations, stated that with the ample crude supply, the refinery would smoothly start its operations. He mentioned that upon the delivery of the six million barrels, the refinery would initiate production of diesel, aviation fuel, and LPG before progressing to Premium Motor Spirit.
Originally scheduled to open in 2021, the refinery was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Despite the initial June 2023 start date, the refinery received its first crude supply late last year. The facility, built by Aliko Dangote, is expected to export excess petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel while meeting Nigeria’s refined goods needs.
The refinery, located in the Lekki Free Zone on 2,635 hectares of land, features two SPMs offshore for crude oil and three more for petroleum product release. Additionally, its truck-loading gantries can load 2,900 trucks per day.
It is anticipated that the Port Harcourt refinery will also start production simultaneously, as confirmed by the Federal Government in December.
