A significant milestone has been reached by the Dangote oil refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, as it approaches full operation with the arrival of its first shipment of one million barrels of crude oil.
This first shipment, from Shell International Trading and Shipping Co. (STASCO), is a big step in the right direction for the refinery, which wants to turn Nigeria into a net exporter of fuels.
“The STASCO cargo arrived on a chartered vessel and was discharged into the refinery’s crude oil tanks,” Reuters reported, quoting an unnamed spokesperson for Dangote Group.
The largest refinery in Africa has been under construction for a number of years and has had multiple delays. But now that the first cargo of crude oil has arrived, the project seems to be finally headed toward production.
The Agbami crude, which comes from a Chevron-owned deep-water field, opens the refinery for its first run, which is anticipated to yield diesel, aviation fuel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Premium Motor Spirit production is scheduled for a later date.
“This is a major milestone for us,” said Aliko Dangote, president and CEO of Dangote Group, in a statement.
“We are excited to finally be receiving crude oil and starting the process of refining it into products that will benefit Nigerians across the country.”
Nigeria is anticipated to save billions of dollars annually once the refinery is fully operating, greatly reducing the country’s dependency on imported fuels.
The project is anticipated to generate thousands of jobs and has been lauded as a significant boost to the Nigerian economy. It is also regarded as a significant advancement for the energy industry in Africa.
NNPC will supply four of the six million barrels of petroleum that will be supplied in the upcoming weeks, while ExxonMobil will furnish the fifth and final cargo. The refinery’s first run and subsequent ramp-up to full capacity depend on this cooperation.
