Dangote Refinery Secures Second Ghana Crude Shipment Amid Maintenance Shift

Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery secured its second crude oil delivery from Ghana in November 2025, as the facility scaled back imports from Europe to focus on local and regional supplies. The shipment carried Ghana’s Sankofa grade, following an earlier cargo from the West African nation. This step aligns with the refinery’s efforts to stabilise operations before planned shutdowns.

Tracking data from industry firm Kpler showed crude arrivals at the refinery averaged 380,000 barrels per day from September to November, down 30 per cent from the July-August peak. November’s intake relied almost entirely on Nigerian grades, led by Bonny Light, with Amenam, Forcados, Utapate, and Qua Iboe close behind. The Sankofa cargo marked the sole non-Nigerian addition to the mix.

Operators linked the drop to ongoing outages and major maintenance, including a two-month halt for the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit starting December 4, 2025, and a one-week Crude Distillation Unit pause set for late January 2026. The refinery expects to stick with domestic crudes, topped up by modest volumes from other West African sources or the United States. Shorter routes from nearby suppliers aid flexibility during these works.

Cuts in European buys, especially from North Sea and Mediterranean hubs, opened space for more Nigerian and West African grades. Kpler noted the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit’s restart on February 1, 2026, after tackling regenerator problems that plagued it through the third quarter. The shift highlights the refinery’s push toward regional self-reliance.

Lower crude processing will soon affect Nigeria’s fuel market, with petrol output projected to slip to 80,000 barrels per day from 100,000 to 130,000 amid the unit’s downtime. Reliance will fall on the Reformer and Isomer units alone. Nigeria’s petrol imports jumped nearly twofold in November to 300,000 barrels per day—the highest in over a year—mostly from Europe, including the Netherlands and Belgium.

Demand for petrol has held steady at about 300,000 barrels per day in recent months, with imports covering around 200,000 before Dangote’s ramp-up. Refinery runs should dip to 320,000-350,000 barrels per day through December to February, then rebound past 500,000 by April 2026. The import surge may prompt European refiners to boost crude processing this month to meet the extra pull.

Dangote Industries Limited’s president and chief executive, Aliko Dangote, pledged steady fuel supply despite the adjustments. The refinery will release 1.5 billion litres of petrol monthly to the Nigerian market in December 2025 and January 2026, equating to 50 million litres daily from December 1. Output will rise to 1.7 billion litres in February, or about 60 million litres per day.

Dangote stressed the commitment to ease festive shortages and ensure smooth access into the new year. He notified the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority of the plan. These volumes aim to safeguard nationwide availability as maintenance unfolds, sparing consumers the hardship of queues during peak holiday travel.