For the first time, Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to export a 90,000 metric ton shipment of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) — commonly known as petrol — to an Asian market, according to a Reuters report citing a source familiar with the deal.
The shipment, facilitated by global commodity trading firm Mercuria, is scheduled to be loaded on June 22. Until now, the company’s petrol exports have remained within the West African region since operations began at the 650,000 barrel-per-day facility. Efforts to get a comment from Mercuria were unsuccessful as of the time of reporting.
“We sell our products to those who are willing to give us the highest price. It’s the buyer’s right to take the products to any destination of their choice,” a Dangote Refinery spokesperson said in response to the development.
Analysts view the shift in export destination as a strategic indicator that the company is positioning itself to compete in global fuel markets.
Clementine Wallop, director at Horizon Engage, a political risk consultancy, told Reuters that the move signals the growing global relevance of the Dangote company. “This development shows the Dangote refinery’s growing global importance as a gasoline supplier, and the company’s confidence that production is now stable enough to meet Nigeria’s domestic needs,” she said.
Dangote refinery prepares for CNG distribution
Meanwhile, the refinery is also preparing to roll out a national Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) distribution network beginning August 15. As part of this initiative, it plans to deploy 4,000 new CNG-powered tankers. The goal is to address distribution inefficiencies, reduce dependency on middlemen, and support Nigeria’s environmental goals.
