Nigeria’s Dangote Oil Refinery is on track to achieve full operational capacity within the next 30 days.
The 650,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery began processing crude into refined products like diesel, naphtha and jet fuel in January last year.
Petrol production commenced in September but the refinery has faced challenges securing adequate crude oil supplies locally.
Speaking on Monday, Edwin Devakumar, head of the Dangote Oil Refinery, stated that the facility is currently running at 85% capacity and could reach full production within the next month.
“We can go 100 percent in 30 days,” Devakumar assured, signaling the refinery’s growing momentum.
Despite an agreement with the Nigerian government to purchase crude in naira, Dangote Refinery is still struggling to source enough local supply last year and now import crude oil for operations.
In response, the refinery has requested 550,000 bpd of crude for the first half of 2025, according to the Nigerian oil regulator.
To ensure compliance, the government has warned oil producers that export permits will be withheld from those failing to meet their domestic supply quotas.
Beyond ramping up production, the Dangote Oil Refinery is expanding its market footprint by targeting new international buyers.
Founder Aliko Dangote recently revealed plans to export refined products beyond Nigeria with initial shipments of jet fuel already en route to Saudi Aramco.
“We are looking at all the markets right now,” Devakumar added. He further stated that the refinery is ready to compete with global refiners and solidify its position as a key player in the international energy sector.
As the refinery nears full capacity, its success could reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel, stabilize domestic energy prices and position the country as a major refining hub in Africa.
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