Crude oil deliveries to the Dangote Oil and Gas Company Limited rose sharply in April 2026, as Nigeria’s state oil firm intensified efforts to support operations at Africa’s largest refinery. Shipment data indicates that more than 1.03 million metric tonnes of crude—equivalent to about 6.8 million barrels or over 1.08 billion litres—were delivered خلال the month.
The supplies were executed by the trading arm of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, which handled eight cargoes routed to the Lekki-based refinery. The volumes reinforce NNPC’s role as a critical feedstock supplier to the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility.
Tanker movement records show that the crude shipments were sourced from major Nigerian streams, including Anyala, Bonga, Odudu, Forcados, Qua Iboe and Utapate. Deliveries were made through the refinery’s offshore Single Point Mooring systems, SPM-C1 and SPM-C2, ensuring a steady inflow of supply.
Of the eight cargoes delivered during the period, five have been fully discharged, while three are still awaiting berthing or completion. This ongoing pipeline underscores a sustained supply effort, even as the refinery continues to flag gaps in meeting its full crude requirements.
The development comes against the backdrop of supply concerns raised by the refinery, which requires about 19 cargoes monthly to operate optimally. It also follows reports that Nigeria imported 55.39 million barrels of crude in January and February 2026, highlighting the complexities in balancing domestic supply and refining needs.
A breakdown of April shipments shows a diverse set of deliveries. The vessel Sonangol Kalandula initiated the month’s supply chain with 123,000 metric tonnes from the Anyala stream, arriving April 5 and completing discharge shortly after berthing.
Subsequent cargoes included Advantage Spring, which delivered 128,190 metric tonnes from Bonga, and Barbarosa, which transported 125,000 metric tonnes from Odudu. Another vessel, Sonangol Njinga Mban, supplied 129,089 metric tonnes, also from Bonga.
Additional completed deliveries featured Nordic Tellus, which discharged 139,066 metric tonnes from Forcados by April 17.
Three shipments, however, remain in progress. Advantage Sun, carrying 142,327 metric tonnes from Bonga, has arrived but is yet to berth. Two other cargoes—another Advantage Spring shipment from Utapate (120,189 metric tonnes) and Sonangol Kalandula from Qua Iboe (126,471 metric tonnes)—are still pending completion.
In total, the NNPC Trading volumes reached 1,033,332 metric tonnes, a level industry analysts describe as evidence of a “strong and sustained supply commitment” to the refinery.
Beyond crude, the refinery also received multiple shipments of refined products and blending components from international markets, reflecting its ongoing optimisation processes.
Among these, Seaways Lonsdale delivered 37,400 metric tonnes of blendstock gasoline from Immingham in the United Kingdom, handled by Vitol. The cargo was discharged between April 18 and 19.
Other deliveries included Augenstern, which supplied 37,125 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit from Lavera, France, and Emma Grace, which transported 37,496 metric tonnes from Mongstad, Norway.
Similarly, LVM Aaron delivered 36,323 metric tonnes of PMS from Lomé, Togo, while Egret discharged 35,498 metric tonnes of naphtha from Rotterdam between April 16 and 18, providing critical feedstock for gasoline blending.
Two additional shipments remain outstanding. Mont Blanc I, carrying 36,877 metric tonnes of blendstock gasoline from Antwerp, is yet to berth, while Aesop is expected to deliver a significantly larger cargo—130,000 metric tonnes of residue catalytic oil—from Singapore before the end of April.
Supplementary crude supplies also came from a mix of international and domestic traders, further supporting refinery operations.
Notably, Yasa Hercules delivered 273,287 metric tonnes from Corpus Christi in the United States, while Front Orkla supplied 264,889 metric tonnes from Ingleside, also in the US. A major regional cargo, Navig8 Passion, contributed 496,330 metric tonnes from Cameroon, highlighting increasing cross-border supply integration.
Domestic inputs included Harmonic, which delivered nearly 993,240 barrels from the Ugo Ocha field, and Aura M, which supplied 1 million barrels from Escravos, alongside an additional 651,331 barrels sourced from Anyala.
Operational data suggests improved efficiency at the refinery’s offshore terminals, with most vessels berthing within one to two days of arrival and departing shortly after completing discharge.
Located in Lekki, Lagos, the Dangote refinery is Africa’s largest single-train facility, with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. It is expected to play a central role in reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products by refining domestic crude into petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and other derivatives.
NNPC Limited, through its trading arm, continues to anchor crude supply to the refinery under evolving commercial arrangements, amid broader reforms in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
Recent disclosures by Aliko Dangote indicate that supply levels have been trending upward. In comments reported by Bloomberg, he revealed that the refinery received 10 cargoes from NNPC in March—double the average monthly volume of about five cargoes recorded since late 2024.
According to Dangote, the March deliveries included six cargoes paid for in naira and four in dollars under the crude supply arrangement with the state oil firm. He noted that the increase was partly driven by efforts to stabilise fuel availability after disruptions to Middle East shipments linked to the Iran war.
The April surge in deliveries suggests continued momentum, though the refinery’s full crude requirements—and the broader dynamics of Nigeria’s oil supply chain—remain a work in progress.