Dangote imports 1.46bn litres of petrol blendstock

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has disclosed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery imported about 1.46 billion litres of gasoline blendstock and other intermediates between January and May 2026 to support its petrol production operations.

According to the NMDPRA’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Statistics for May 2026, the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery continued to supplement crude oil processing with imported feedstocks despite receiving both domestic and imported crude supplies.

The data showed that Dangote Refinery imported 658.31 million litres of gasoline blendstock in January, 306.89 million litres in February, 102.35 million litres in March, 147.37 million litres in April and 240.59 million litres in May, bringing total imports during the five-month period to approximately 1.46 billion litres.

The May import volume represented a 63.3 per cent increase from the 147.37 million litres recorded in April, indicating stronger feedstock purchases as refining activities expanded.

Gasoline blendstock consists of intermediate petroleum products used in refining operations to produce finished Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. Rather than being sold directly to consumers, the products are blended with other refinery streams and additives to improve fuel quality, increase output and meet environmental specifications.

Common gasoline blendstocks include reformate, alkylate, naphtha and other high-octane components.

The NMDPRA data showed that the refinery maintained strong operational performance during the period, achieving an average capacity utilisation rate of 101.25 per cent in May, slightly exceeding its installed nameplate capacity.

During the month, the refinery produced an average of 44.7 million litres of PMS daily, supplying about 41.5 million litres per day to the domestic market while maintaining closing stocks of 9.4 million litres.

The refinery also produced 24.5 million litres of diesel daily, of which 18.2 million litres were supplied locally and 6.5 million litres exported. Aviation fuel production stood at 21.9 million litres per day, with domestic supply of 2.8 million litres and exports of 17.5 million litres daily.

Further analysis showed that the refinery continued to rely on a combination of domestic and imported crude oil feedstock. In May, it received 17.92 million barrels of crude, comprising 15.84 million barrels of domestic crude and 2.08 million barrels of imported crude.

This was lower than the estimated 20.15 million barrels of crude required for the refinery to operate at full capacity throughout a 31-day month.

Despite receiving less crude than the theoretical requirement for full-capacity operations, the refinery still operated above its nameplate capacity, suggesting that imported intermediates and gasoline blendstocks played a complementary role in boosting output.

The figures also revealed that as crude supplies improved in February and March, the refinery’s dependence on imported blendstocks declined significantly. However, imports increased again in April and May despite strong crude receipts, coinciding with some of the refinery’s strongest production performances since operations commenced.

The latest statistics also highlighted the continued shutdown of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company remained inactive as of May 2026.

Their inactivity has left Dangote Refinery as the country’s major operational refining hub and the largest supplier of locally refined petroleum products.

Commenting on the development, Professor of Energy at the University of Lagos, Dayo Ayoade, said importing gasoline blendstocks is a standard practice globally and enables refineries to improve fuel quality, optimise operations and maximise output.

He explained that gasoline feedstocks are unfinished petroleum streams that are blended to produce petrol that meets regulatory and environmental standards.

According to him, the strategy provides refiners with operational flexibility and helps maintain production levels, particularly when crude oil supplies are unstable.

Ayoade, however, noted that continued importation of feedstocks has economic implications, particularly its impact on foreign exchange.

“It is not a bad thing. The major issue is the cost implication because importing feedstock means foreign exchange is leaving the country and exposes the refinery to international market risks,” he said.

He also warned that the importation of blendstocks could create misconceptions that the refinery is importing finished petrol, stressing that gasoline blendstocks are intermediate products used in refining processes and not finished PMS.