Nigeria’s Dangote oil refinery, Africa’s largest crude processing facility, is preparing to dispatch its first gasoline shipment beyond the continent, with a vessel bound for Asia.
The shipment, comprising 90,000 metric tons of gasoline, is scheduled to be loaded this weekend by independent oil trader Mercuria, the source added.
Since commencing operations last year, the Dangote refinery has primarily exported gasoline within the West African region. However, the refinery confirmed it sells to buyers offering the highest price and does not restrict destinations.
“We sell our products to those who are willing to give us the highest price. It’s the buyer’s right to take the products to any destination of their choice,” a refinery spokesperson told.
With a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), the refinery has recently increased purchases of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for logistical and technical advantages. Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at Energy Aspects, explained that WTI crude yields higher volumes of reformate and offers better gasoline blending properties.
The Dangote refinery began producing fuel in 2024. Diesel and naphtha output started in January last year, followed by gasoline production in September.
Built by Africa’s richest individual, Aliko Dangote, the facility stands as both Africa’s largest and among the world’s biggest crude processing complexes.
The refinery aims to satisfy Nigeria’s entire domestic demand for refined petroleum products while generating surpluses for export.
In addition to fuels, Dangote will export polypropylene globally through an exclusive partnership with petrochemical distributor Vinmar International. Vinmar described the collaboration as a significant milestone in extending the reach of high-quality polypropylene produced at Dangote’s new refinery and petrochemical complex in Lekki, Nigeria.
