Dangote refinery diversifies crude sources with first UAE imports
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has acquired its first crude oil cargoes from the United Arab Emirates, marking a strategic shift to expand its feedstock sources. This move comes as the refinery faces ongoing domestic supply challenges. S&P Global Commodity Insights reported that these two cargoes are the first from a Middle Eastern supplier for the 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery, which has traditionally relied on Nigerian, African, and United States crude grades. The purchases follow the resumption of oil exports from the Middle East after a peace agreement between the United States and Iran. Although designed for Nigeria's light sweet crude, the refinery is diversifying its crude slate as operations scale up. An agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company aims to secure 13 to 15 monthly cargoes of Nigerian crude in naira, reducing foreign exchange exposure. However, inadequate crude availability and operational issues at export terminals have led the refinery to seek additional sources outside Nigeria, as previously stated by Dangote Refinery Chief Executive Officer David Bird. The refinery plans to double its processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by the end of 2028, which would process about 80 percent of Nigeria's recent crude oil production daily. Bird indicated earlier this year that the refinery intends to increase the share of heavier crude grades, potentially processing 30 percent Middle Eastern grades at 1.4 million barrels per day. The refi
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