Dangote Starts Supplying Domestic Market With Diesel, Jet Fuel

Nigeria’s 650kbpd Dangote refinery has started selling diesel and jet fuel to the domestic markets, after the operators secured an exemption to sell higher sulphur gasoil within Nigeria, with gasoline sales to follow in May according to Argus.

• Nigerian product marketers have started to buy diesel and jet fuel from the refinery, loading 30t trucks and ships with 22,000t minimum capacity, a Dangote spokesperson told Argus.
• Domestic sales of 700ppm gasoil began a week ago, according to a source.
• Around 2mn-3mn l/d of gasoil are being loaded onto trucks. Around 60 trucks loaded a combined 40,000l on 2 April, however, 70% of these destined for businesses owned by the Dangote conglomerate.
• Dangote previously said the refinery has capacity to load 2,900 trucks a day. Its three single point mooring facilities can load tankers between 20,000t to 130,000t.
• The refinery, that is currently operating at an initial processing rate of 350kbpd, is yet to start its desulphurisation units, and it has a waiver from downstream regulator NMDPRA to sell diesel with a sulphur content above the 200ppm specification.
• A source in the NMDPRA told Argus that Dangote has received regulatory approval to start its mild hydrocracker with desulphurisation unit, and the pre-startup safety review for the residual fluid catalytic cracker is ongoing.