Dangote Refinery bought a third of its crude from the US — the lion’s share of it being the grade West Texas Intermediate – Midland, ship tracking compiled by Bloomberg shows.
The proportion has been almost double what it was in 2024, the ramp-up year.
Dangote’s elevated purchases “probably at the margin supported the Brent market a little,” said Sparta Commodities analyst Neil Crosby. “I expect WTI to keep flowing to Dangote to some degree in the future, but the volumes will depend on price.”
WTI from the US offers Dangote Refinery advantages over Nigerian crudes that result in improved yields of reformate and better gasoline blending capabilities, according to Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd.
A spokesman for Dangote said the increased use of US oil reflects the refinery’s rising processing levels and a reduction of Nigerian crude that’s available to buy.
In June and July alone, Dangote is expected to take in 14 million barrels of WTI Midland, according to traders who monitor the company’s buy tenders closely.
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