Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to make its first-ever gasoline shipment outside Africa, with a 90,000 metric ton cargo set to be exported to Asia on June 22. The cargo will be loaded by independent oil trader Mercuria, according to sources.
This marks a significant milestone for the refinery, which until now had limited its gasoline exports to West African countries like Ghana, Cameroon, Angola, and South Africa.
Analysts say this development reflects increasing confidence in the refinery’s operational stability and product quality. “This development shows the Dangote refinery’s growing global importance as a gasoline supplier,” noted Clementine Wallop, a director at Horizon Engage, a political risk consultancy.
Since beginning operations in early 2024, the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility has already disrupted traditional fuel trade flows. It has exported jet fuel to Saudi Aramco and the United States, and sent low-sulfur straight-run fuel oil (LSSR) to Singapore. The refinery’s expansion into Asian markets signals a broader shift in global energy trade dynamics, with Africa emerging as a more prominent fuel supplier.
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A spokesperson for Dangote Refinery emphasized the company’s market-driven approach, stating, “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.”
The refinery, built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is designed to meet all of Nigeria’s domestic refined petroleum needs, while also supplying surplus products for export. Its increasing use of U.S. crude oil, particularly West Texas Intermediate (WTI), is attributed to the crude’s superior gasoline blending properties.
Industry experts suggest that Dangote’s expansion could reduce Africa’s reliance on European fuel imports, a market worth an estimated $17 billion annually, and may significantly reshape fuel trading patterns across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
