Nigeria’s Dangote oil refinery is set to import at least five million barrels of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil in July, according to three trading sources cited by Reuters.
The move continues a surge in crude purchases following what may be a record month in June.
The 650,000 barrel-per-day capacity refinery is expected to import approximately 161,000 barrels per day of WTI crude in July, following the award of recent tenders, the sources said.
This follows June tenders that reportedly saw bookings reach a record 300,000 barrels per day.
Final volumes for the month may shift if the refinery makes further purchases.
The sustained imports underscore the growing competition among oil exporters, as OPEC+ ramps up production. U.S. crudes, in particular, face challenges in Asia due to declining spot premiums for UAE’s Murban crude, which recently fell to a six-month low, traders said.
Vitol was awarded two million barrels for July delivery in the latest tender, while Azeri state-owned Socar supplied another two million barrels. Commodity trader Glencore sold the remaining one million barrels, the sources noted.
Reuters was unable to confirm the suppliers of the nine million barrels reportedly purchased by Dangote for June deliveries. Tender details are not disclosed publicly.
Data from global shipping analytics firm Kpler shows the refinery’s previous peak for U.S. crude imports was 173,000 barrels per day in April.
“We can take only what they are giving to us from Nigeria, this is a known fact. We have to import the rest,” said Edwin Devakumar, head of the Dangote Oil Refinery.
The refinery primarily processes Nigerian crude grades but has been purchasing WTI semi-regularly since March 2024, according to Kpler. In 2025, it has also sourced spot cargoes from Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, and Brazil, Kpler data show.
Operations at the facility are expected to remain below full capacity through October due to recent technical challenges, according to industry monitor IIR.
A refinery spokesperson told Reuters it is now ramping up toward 85% operating capacity. IIR reported it had been running at about 80% since mid-March.
Meanwhile, a new report reveals that Dangote Refinery has ended Nigeria’s run as Africa’s largest importer of petrol, with South Africa now taking that spot.
