Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest oil refinery, has moved the date of production of premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, from June to the middle of July.
Aliko Dangote, the President and CEO of the refinery, confirmed the new production date to the press at the $20 billion facility in Lagos on Monday.
While speaking during the commissioning of the Dangote Sinotruk West Africa’s completely knocked-down (CKD) plant in Lagos on June 9, Dangote said, “We had a bit of delay, but PMS will start coming out by 10 to 15 of July,” he stated. “We want to keep it in the tank to make sure that it settles, so by the third week of July, we’ll be able to come out to take it into the market.”
On May 18, Dangote said from this month, the refinery would commence producing petrol, adding that Nigeria would not have to import the product again.
The latest update sets the new target for petrol supply to the downstream market around July 15, with market distribution expected by the third week of July.
In addition to this development, Dangote highlighted some challenges faced by the refinery, particularly regarding crude oil supply. On June 3, he mentioned that some international oil companies (IOCs) are struggling to supply crude to the refinery.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) acknowledged these issues on June 5 and stated that discussions are ongoing with the IOCs to ensure they meet their domestic crude oil supply obligations.
The successful commencement of operations at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is highly anticipated, as it promises to significantly reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol and enhance the country’s energy security.
