Ghana's crude returns to Dangote Refinery for the second time

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has received its second-ever crude cargo from Ghana.

This move coincides with a sharp reduction in its purchases from Europe as the plant adjusts its slate ahead of major maintenance.

According to industry tracking data, the latest shipment carrying Ghana’s Sankofa grade arrived in November, the second time the refinery has sourced crude from the country.

The development reinforces expectations that Dangote will continue to prioritise West African and domestic grades as it stabilises operations and prepares key units for scheduled shutdowns.

According to a report by Kpler, crude arrivals into the refinery averaged around 380,000 barrels per day between September and November, about 30 per cent lower than the volumes purchased during the July–August peak.

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“In November, Dangote’s crude receipts consisted almost exclusively of Nigerian grades, predominantly Bonny Light, followed by Amenam, Forcados, Utapate, and Qua Iboe. Notably, the second-ever cargo from Ghana arrived as well, carrying Sankofa. Looking ahead, we expect Dangote’s crude slate to remain primarily domestic, supplemented by smaller volumes from other West African producers or the United States,” Kpler said.

The decline is linked to recurrent outages and extensive maintenance work, including a two-month shutdown of the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit beginning December 4, 2026 and a one-week Crude Distillation Unit outage scheduled for late January, 2026.

As Dangote cuts intake, purchases from Europe, particularly from the North Sea and Mediterranean markets, have fallen sharply, making way for more Nigerian and regional West African grades.

The report shows that November receipts were dominated by Bonny Light, followed by Amenam, Forcados, Utapate, and Qua Iboe, while Sankofa formed the only non-Nigerian component of the slate.

SP/EB

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