Production at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company officially commenced on Friday. The refinery recently received its fifth crude oil shipment of one million barrels of Bonny Light from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited. Operating at a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the facility, which began operations in May 2023, is designed to process crude oil from Africa, Asia, and America.

The Managing Director of Dangote Ports Operations, Mr. Akin Omole, emphasized the importance of a steady supply of crude for the smooth operation of the refinery. He mentioned that the initial delivery of six million barrels would enable the refinery to commence production of diesel, aviation fuel, and LPG, eventually progressing to the production of Premium Motor Spirit.

Initially scheduled to open in 2021, the Dangote Refinery was officially inaugurated by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Despite its scheduled June 2023 start date, the refinery received its first crude supply late last year.

The refinery, built by Aliko Dangote, is poised not only to meet Nigeria's domestic demand for refined products but also to have excess petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel for potential export.

The facility, located in the Lekki Free Zone on the outskirts of Lagos, boasts two Single Point Mooring (SPM) systems designed for crude oil handling and three additional SPMs for petroleum product discharge. Additionally, its truck-loading gantries can load 2,900 trucks per day.

There are expectations that the Port Harcourt refinery will commence production simultaneously with the Dangote refinery. In December, the Federal Government confirmed the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company in Rivers State.

Read more:https://www.tori.ng/news/258774/breaking-dangote-refinery-begins-production.html