LAGOS: The Rapidospace News, a popular online news platform in Nigeria, can authoritatively affirm that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to begin distributing Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as fuel or petrol
This comes just a few days after the product underwent testing at the refinery with a producing capacity of 650,000 per barrel.
Our correspondent received confirmation from industry insiders that the product would be released soon.
The sources, who begged to remain anonymous, informed our correspondent that the Dangote Group and the government were working out the logistics for having the product distributed.
The sale and distribution of the PMS are reportedly being worked out with the federal government, according to a government source.Only the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has been given permission to distribute Dangote fuel.
Recall that the Dangote refinery was supposed to have stopped producing gasoline in June Rather, it suffered with a shortage of oil and he got into a spat with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority
Dangote and other local refineries have repeatedly accused international oil companies of not selling crude oil to the local refiners.Recently, the Federal Government announced that the crude oil supply deal would commence in October
Recall that the Dangote refinery was supposed to have commence producing petrol in June Instead, it struggled with a shortage of crude oil and got into a spat with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, which accused it of producing diesel that wasn’t up to par.
Read related news: September launch: Dangote refinery and Tinubu panel discuss fuel prices
Last month the Dangote refinery engaged in an exchange of words with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission over the alleged supply of 29 million barrels of crude oil to the refinery.
The Dangote Group had accused the NUPRC of failing to effectively enforce the Domestic Crude Supply Obligations regulations, saying the refinery had yet to get crude oil from Nigeria and international oil companies
Reacting, the NUPRC debunked the claim, stating that it facilitated the supply of over 29 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote from January to June 2024.
The NUPRC argued that it had facilitated the domestic supply of crude oil to Dangote refinery and other refineries using the monthly production curtailment platform.
But in a swift response, the Dangote Group also denied receiving 29 million barrels of crude from any source.
Spokesperson of the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, said, “We received NUPRC’s statement that they have facilitated the allocation of 29 million barrels of crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals,
Therefore, we would like to thank them for this allocation but at the same time, we wish to let them know that we are yet to receive these cargoes.
Aside from the term supply we bilaterally negotiated with NNPCL, so far NUPRC has only facilitated the purchase of one crude cargo from a domestic producer. The rest of the cargoes we have processed were purchased from international traders.”
Chiejina added that all the refinery was asking for was for refineries in Nigeria to buy crude directly from the companies that produce it in Nigeria rather than from international middlemen.
Nigerians are hopeful that Dangote will crash the pump price of PMS.
