Ahead of its planned IPO in September, Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has ramped up crude processing to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) during a performance test by process licensors, exceeding its “capacity” of 650,000 bpd and marking a significant operational milestone.
The refinery, owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, began fuel production in the facility in 2024. Since then, it has scaled up output of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel.
Apart from supplying energy products in the domestic market, Dangote Petroleum Refinery also exports to other African countries, along with Europe, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.
“The refinery has built up a large surplus of jet fuel and can supply global markets as rising output attracts growing interest from international crude suppliers and commodity trading firms,” Dangote Petroleum’s CEO David Bird said on June 2.
Amid the ongoing energy supply disruptions due to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, Dangote Refinery has emerged as a major supplier in Africa, with the continent’s buyers seeking more reliable sources.
Exports climbed to 353,000 barrels per day in April from 168,000 bpd in February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler, with about half of that volume flowing to other African countries.
Devakumar Edwin, vice president for oil and gas at Dangote Industries, said the ramp-up forms part of a wider plan to expand capacity to 1.4 million bpd within 30 months, a level that could make the facility one of the largest globally.
Despite the 700,000-bpd surge marking a significant expansion for Africa’s largest refinery and demonstrating its emergence as a regional supplier, analysts caution it is too early to assess whether the trend represents a lasting shift in trade patterns, particularly after exports pulled back to 285,000 bpd in May.
“We’re seeing a clear shift toward regional barrels, with Dangote steadily increasing its share of Africa’s seaborne fuel imports,” said Mick Strautmann, market analyst at Vortexa, while interacting with Reuters.