Dangote Refinery Accuses Critics of Spreading False Narratives

Dangote refinery has denied the resell of crude oil shipments from the United States and Nigeria.

On Wednesday, Journalists reported an unconfirmed sources that the refinery issued that Dangote Refinery was reselling the crude oil it purchased due to technical issues at the refinery.

The publication quoted a Dangote Refinery executive saying the plant was operational, responding to questions about the tender and market rumors that refinery operational issues were affecting the crude distillation plant.

The grades offered included cargoes of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland crude and Nigerian Escravos Forcados crude, according to the sources.

The facility imports several cargoes of crude oil a month, traders said, adding that such resales by refiners are rare but not unprecedented.

In a statement responding to the allegations, Mr Anthony Chiejina, Chief Branding and Communications Officer of the Dangote Group, said the report was inaccurate.

“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading report on our crude distillation unit and also that we are offering crude for re-sale,” Mr Chiejina said.

“This is a blatant lie as we are not authorized to sell the crude oil we purchase in Nigeria.Furthermore, our CDUs are operational and in perfect condition.

“We advise you to ignore these false narratives being spread by those seeking to import dirty fuel into the country.” The development comes amid a dispute between the refinery and government authorities.

On June 4, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, said some international oil companies (IOCs) were having difficulty supplying crude to his refineries.

In an interview with Arise TV on July 15, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, said the allegations were “erroneous” as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) contains provisions that regulate transactions between willing buyers and willing sellers.

On July 17, the management of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) claimed that IOCs had frustrated their request to purchase crude oil for the Dangote refinery.

The next day, the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, were producing products that were inferior to those being imported into the country.

But Dangote on July 20 dismissed claims that petroleum products from the refinery were substandard.