The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reportedly cancelled its scheduled maintenance for June at its 204,000 barrels per day gasoline-producing unit, following the completion of critical works during an unplanned shutdown that lasted over a month.
A report by Reuters on Tuesday said the maintenance, originally slated for next month (June), was rendered unnecessary after the refinery carried out emergency essential repairs and upgrades between April 7 and May 11.
The report quoting industry monitor Industrial Info Resources Energy said the facility, during the unplanned outage, increased exports of residual products such as straight run fuel oil.
According to shipping trade analytics firm Kpler, exports of finished products such as jet fuel and gasoil dropped. Last month, Nigeria’s petrol imports rose by 24 per cent in the month of April to 157,000 bpd, representing 210.54 million litres.
Dangote had initially planned to shut its gasoline-making residue fluid catalytic cracking unit for 30 days of maintenance in June.
The 650,000 bpd refinery built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote in Lagos began processing crude into products, including gasoil, naphtha, and jet fuel, in January 2024 and started producing gasoline in September.
The Dangote refinery did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the petrochemical refinery has notified customers that its temporary N10 per litre refund on the purchase of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, will stop tomorrow, Thursday, May 15, 2025
Multiple industry sources confirmed to The PUNCH on Tuesday that the rebate, which was being applied as a post-loading refund, is now valid for products lifted on or before the May 15 deadline. After that date, the refinery’s ex-depot price is expected to revert to the previously announced N835 per litre.
Recall that on Monday, The PUNCH reported that the refinery had effected another reduction in the ex-gantry price of its petrol below the publicly announced N835 per litre. Sources confirmed that the refinery has reduced its price to N825 per litre for its customers, through a rebate of N10 after successful loading of products at the refinery.
The covert price adjustment allowed its customers and marketers to retail the product at a lower band of N830 to N835, outpricing importing marketers and private depot owners.
Although the refinery has yet to issue an official statement confirming the rebate or its expiration, marketers purchasing from the facility have now confirmed that they had been duly informed by Dangote officials that the discounted rate would no longer apply after Thursday.
