Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has attributed the recent reduction in crude inflows to soaring global oil prices rather than operational faults, seeking to dispel market concerns about possible disruptions at Africa’s largest refinery. The clarification followed reports of lower-than-usual crude deliveries to the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility, according to Reuters.
Edwin Devakumar, Vice President of Dangote Industries, explained that the refinery had deliberately adjusted its crude intake in response to market price dynamics and inventory levels. “No factory runs at 100 percent capacity every day without adjustments,” Devakumar said, adding that what matters is ensuring production output remains stable and efficient.
The refinery, which began operations earlier this year, has already conducted several short maintenance shutdowns on its gasoline units, a normal occurrence for new facilities of its scale. The company also reported more than 20 attempted acts of sabotage on its critical systems this year, all of which were prevented by its automated safety and fire protection mechanisms.
Analysts note that the statement aims to reassure investors and regulators of the refinery’s operational health. They add that sustaining consistent crude inflows will be key for Nigeria to fully benefit from its long-awaited refining independence and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
