Dangote Petrol Lands In US For The First Time

Petrol from Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has for the first time been delivered to the United States, marking a milestone for Africa’s largest oil refinery less than a year after it began production.

According to Reuters, the shipment was handled by global oil trader Vitol and U.S. distributor Sunoco, which received the cargo on Monday at Sunoco’s Linden facility in the New York Harbor area. Vessel-tracking data showed the tanker Gemini Pearl discharged about 320,000 barrels of petrol, originally purchased by Vitol from Geneva-based Mocoh Oil.

The deal marks a breakthrough for the $20 billion, 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery, proving its ability to meet the strict standards required for U.S. motor fuels.

Additional shipments are already on the way. A second cargo, sold by Glencore to Shell, is expected in New York Harbor around September 19 aboard the MH Daisen. Another, purchased by Vitol from Mocoh, is scheduled to arrive around September 22 on the Seaexplorer.

While sources confirmed the trades, the companies involved declined to comment.

The Dangote Refinery, one of the largest in the world, has ramped up output this year after earlier delays, shifting global fuel flows and cutting Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol. Most of its exports so far have been to Europe, but the U.S. deliveries highlight its growing reach in international markets.

Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, said on Monday that the refinery had exported over 1.1 billion litres of petrol between June and early September. He added that the facility was not only meeting Nigeria’s domestic demand but also contributing to foreign exchange earnings.

He further revealed that from next year, the refinery is targeting an expanded production capacity of 700 million barrels per day.