The Dangote refinery has begun actively diversifying its crude oil sources globally, receiving its first shipment from Brazil’s Petrobras on March 26, 2025, delivering one million barrels of medium sweet Tupi crude. The refinery also plans to add supplies from Equatorial Guinea to its growing portfolio of international crude grades.
According to data from S&P Global, the refinery processed approximately 400,000 barrels per day in early 2025, with about 35% (140,000 barrels per day) coming from international imports, totaling 12.6 million barrels in the first three months of the year. A refinery executive confirmed to S&P Global Commodity Insights, “We have started sourcing globally,” adding that the company now counts Brazil and Equatorial Guinea among its international oil suppliers.
This diversification strategy comes as Nigeria’s national oil company, NNPC, has consistently underdelivered on promised crude supplies. Since the refinery began operating, NNPC has struggled to meet its supply commitments, delivering only about a third of the initially promised 300,000 barrels per day of discounted oil, according to Commodities at Sea data. This led NNPC to reduce its stake in the project from 20% to 7.2% in July 2024.
Dangote Chairman Aliko Dangote had previously shared plans to run Brazilian crude at the plant in July 2024 and mentioned ongoing talks with Senegal and Libya over potential additional supply routes, indicating a long-term strategy to reduce dependence on domestic Nigerian crude supply.
Source: Punch Ng
