Dangote Refinery exports first petrol shipment to U.S.

Nigeria’s Dangote refinery has exported its first shipment of petrol (gasoline) to the United States, marking a major milestone for the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility.

The delivery, carried on the tanker Gemini Pearl, demonstrates the refinery’s ability to produce fuel that meets strict U.S. motor fuel standards.

The disclosure was contained in a Reuters report on Tuesday.

The cargo, totaling approximately 320,000 barrels, was purchased by global trader Vitol from Mocoh Oil, Dangote’s export partner, and sold to Sunoco, a North American fuel distributor. The vessel discharged at Sunoco’s Linden, New Jersey facility, according to vessel-tracking data and sources familiar with the transaction.

“Top global oil trader Vitol and North American fuel distributor Sunoco (SUN.N), opens new tab, took delivery of the first U.S. import of gasoline from Nigeria’s new Dangote refinery on Monday, according to vessel-tracking data and two sources familiar with the matter.  

“The delivery, on the tanker Gemini Pearl, marks a major milestone for the 650,000 barrel-per-day Dangote refinery, as energy market participants had been waiting to see when its production would start meeting strict U.S. motor fuels standards,” the Reuters report read in part.

It added, “Vitol purchased the Gemini Pearl’s cargo of around 320,000 barrels of gasoline from Geneva, Switzerland-based Mocoh Oil, and sold most of it to Sunoco, according to one source and ship-tracking data. It was not immediately clear what volume Vitol sold to Sunoco and how much it will keep.” 

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This shipment comes after a series of startup delays at the refinery, one of the world’s largest. Since ramping up production, the Dangote refinery has significantly reduced Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel while exporting surplus petrol, primarily to Europe and now to the U.S.

• Additional cargoes are expected in the coming days. A second U.S. shipment, arranged by Glencore for Shell, is set to arrive around September 19, while a third Vitol cargo on the vessel Seaexplorer is scheduled for delivery around September 22. Market conditions may alter the destinations of these shipments.

The Dangote refinery’s entrance into the U.S. petrol market highlights Nigeria’s growing role in global energy flows and highlights the refinery’s capacity to meet international fuel standards, potentially reshaping trade patterns for the region.