Nigeria’s $20 billion Dangote Refinery has for the first time sourced crude oil from Ghana, a move that underscores its push for diversification as it works to stabilize output and counter speculation over technical challenges.
Since production began, the refinery has procured crude from Nigeria, Brazil, Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea, according to Dangote Industries Executive Director Devakumar Edwin.
Market intelligence firm Kpler reported that in August the refinery’s receipts included five Nigerian Suezmaxes, two U.S. Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), and one cargo from Ghana.
The refinery’s choice of Ghana’s Sankofa grade, a medium-sweet crude with 29 API and 0.3% sulphur content, reflects a growing appetite for flexible supply options, according to The Guardian.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is now operating more reliably than at any point since launch, with output climbing to about 610,000 barrels per day in August, approaching its 650,000 bpd nameplate capacity, according to Argus.
Benedict George, Editor of the Argus European Products Report, said last month that the facility had exceeded industry expectations in 2025, highlighting steady increases in crude receipts and run rates.
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Kpler’s data showed August throughput at 450,000 bpd, equivalent to 70% of capacity, marking a rise from around 400,000 bpd, or 60%, in the first quarter of the year.
Although short of the lofty expectations tied to Africa’s largest refining complex, the trend points to gradual operational gains.
The shift also reflects the refinery’s evolving feedstock strategy, with U.S. light sweet crude briefly overtaking Nigerian barrels in July for the first time.
Questions remain, however, over the plant’s reliance on Nigerian crude. Concerns about supply stability and changing market conditions have fueled doubts despite Dangote Industries’ earlier assurances that Nigerian supply would remain the priority.
In June, a company representative told Bloomberg, “We expect some of the long-term contracts will expire. Personally, and as a company, we expect that before the end of the year, we can transition 100% to local crude.”
In practice, though, the addition of Ghanaian crude suggests a pragmatic shift toward securing operational consistency while balancing public commitments.
This reflects both the strategic positioning and the challenges facing a project that has become central to Nigeria’s energy security ambitions.
For now, record intake levels and new supply links from Ghana point to a refinery fine-tuning its operations while navigating complex realities in global energy markets.
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Image Credit: Reuters
