Senegal has begun exporting nearly all of its newly produced Sangomar crude oil to European buyers, while its state-owned Dakar refinery continues to operate on imported Nigerian crude. The refinery, with a capacity of about 30,000 barrels per day, relies on Nigeria’s Erha grade because its configuration is not suited to process Sangomar’s higher-sulfur blend, Business Insider Africa reported.
The West African country launched production at the Sangomar field earlier this year, with output projected at around 100,000 barrels per day. Despite this, the refinery in Dakar has been importing roughly 30,000 barrels per day of Nigerian Erha crude in recent months, according to Kpler data cited in the report.
Officials say the decision reflects technical realities rather than a lack of capacity. Sangomar crude has an API gravity of 31 and sulfur content of 1 percent, compared with Erha’s lighter 36 API and 0.2 percent sulfur, which makes the Nigerian grade more compatible with the refinery’s design. Analysts note that the export of Senegal’s crude to Europe underscores the country’s integration into global markets while also highlighting domestic processing challenges.
Energy experts argue that unless Senegal upgrades its refinery infrastructure, the pattern of exporting its own crude and importing feedstock will persist. While this arrangement allows the country to benefit from export revenues, it also leaves it exposed to international price swings and questions about long-term energy self-sufficiency.
