Nigeria’s $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stepped up fuel exports, filling supply gaps in the global market as Saudi Aramco and other Middle East refiners take key facilities offline for maintenance.
A senior official at the Lekki-based refinery confirmed that in August, the plant exported significant volumes of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and Jet A1 (aviation fuel) to foreign buyers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said, “We export PMS, AGO, and Jet A1.”
Data shows that between June and July, the Dangote refinery supplied at least two long-range cargoes to the Middle East Gulf. Industry analysts at Argus Media warn that a heavy refinery turnaround season in the region will tighten fuel supply further in the fourth quarter, forcing major importers to seek alternative sources.
Saudi Arabia has already shut two refineries and plans additional closures, including Aramco’s 460,000 barrels-per-day Satorp refinery in Jubail, which will undergo a 60-day shutdown between November and December. The Riyadh refinery is also scheduled for maintenance this quarter, while the 400,000 b/d Jizan and 400,000 b/d Yasref facilities are operating at reduced capacity.
Kuwait will follow with a 30-day shutdown of its 490,000 b/d Mina Abdullah refinery from October 1. At the same time, rising demand in India after the monsoon season threatens to slash export volumes, creating further pressure on regional supplies.
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Ship-tracking data from Vortexa reveals that Middle East Gulf gasoline imports jumped to 1.03 million tonnes in July, the highest since January and 35 percent higher than June. Saudi Arabia alone imported 478,000 tonnes of gasoline in July, up from 144,000 tonnes in June, while the United Arab Emirates increased its purchases to 864,000 tonnes in August.
The Dangote refinery has denied reports of operational issues, insisting it remains on track to scale up production to 700,000 bpd by December. “We are reaching the ambitious goals we set for ourselves,” Aliko Dangote said earlier this year after announcing the export of two cargoes of aviation fuel to Saudi Aramco.
In a landmark disclosure, Dangote confirmed that Nigeria has become a net exporter of refined petroleum products. Between June and July alone, the refinery exported about one million tonnes of petrol, marking a turning point for the country’s energy sector.
Analysts believe the closure of refineries across the Middle East Gulf will boost exports from Nigeria even further, positioning the Dangote plant as a major player in the global energy supply chain.
