Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is poised to make its inaugural fuel cargo export. The refinery has tendered two fuel cargoes for export, marking a significant milestone since its recent commissioning.

One of the fuel cargoes, offered by Trafigura, has garnered interest from at least one refiner, according to reports. The second tender encompasses approximately 60,000 tonnes of naphtha, with the tender set to conclude on February 15. However, specific loading details are currently unavailable.

The fuels on offer are standard products derived from processing light sweet crude in a refinery’s crude distillation unit (CDU), without further upgrading capacity. Experts anticipate that it will take several months to bring upgraded units online for full functionality.

Simultaneously, Dangote Refinery is gearing up to supply its initial fuel cargoes to the domestic market within a few weeks. The refinery has also appointed members of various Nigerian petroleum associations as authorized distributors of its products, underlining its commitment to domestic supply.

In a notable move, Dangote Refinery procured 6,000,000 barrels of crude from Nigerian National Petroleum Company and other oil companies, signaling its entry into the production phase. Additionally, plans are underway to acquire 2 million barrels of U.S. WTI Midland in the near future.

Situated on a peninsula near Lagos, Africa’s largest refinery was spearheaded by Aliko Dangote, the wealthiest individual on the continent. With these developments, Dangote Refinery is set to make a significant impact both domestically and internationally.