Dangote Refinery appears set to commence production of refined petroleum products this week with the receipt of the sixth batch of barrels of crude supplied by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The next step is to start up the crude distillation unit, which is a major component of the refinery. That process would “most probably” begin this week, an executive added.
“Subsequently, we will be continuously buying crude and start commissioning the other departments,” said the executive.
The fresh one million Agbami barrels of crude via MT ALMI SUN is the last cargo to complete the initial scheduled 6 million barrels consignment to be delivered to the Dangote facility for commencement of operations by the world’s largest single-train refinery.
Exactly a month ago, Dangote Refinery received the first one million barrels of Agbami crude grade from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO), one of the largest trading companies in Nigeria as well as globally, trading in over 8 million barrels of crude oil per day.
Since then, Dangote Refinery has been receiving the crude oil in batches, and the 6th batch of one million barrels of Agbami crude, got discharged today at the Single Point Mooring (SPM-C2) at the Dangote Offshore Oil Terminal (DOOT).
It would be recalled that the Managing Director of Dangote Ports Operations, Mr. Akin Omole had told newsmen at the Dangote Quay, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos that the Refinery will be in good stead to commence operation, once the 6 million barrels of crude had been delivered.
Omole said, “Once the 6 million barrels are fully delivered, it will facilitate the initial run of the refinery as well as kick-start the production of diesel, aviation fuel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) before subsequently progressing to the production of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).”
This latest development will play a pivotal role in alleviating the fuel supply challenges faced by Nigeria as well as the West African countries.
Designed for 100% Nigerian crude with the flexibility to process other crudes, the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery can process most African crude grades as well as Middle Eastern Arab Light and even US Light tight oil as well as crude from other countries.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery can meet 100% of Nigeria’s requirement of all refined products, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation jet, and has a surplus of each of these products for export.
The refinery, funded at a cost of $20 billion by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is being built at Lekki, on the outskirts of the commercial capital Lagos.
Nigeria currently imports most of its fuel but the Dangote refinery will make it self sufficient and able to export fuel to neighbours in West Africa, potentially transforming oil trading in the Atlantic Basin as Nigeria challenges U.S. and European energy companies that for years have powered the cars, trucks and generators in Africa.
According to experts, test runs include the different units that make products from gasoline to diesel and making sure they respond to the control panels. It can take months for refineries to move from test runs to producing high-quality fuels at full capacity.
Dangote has said it will start by refining 350,000 bpd and hopes to ramp up to full production later this year