Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has increased the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, to local filling stations after raising its crude processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), surpassing its installed capacity of 650,000 bpd.
The development has led to increased deliveries to partner outlets, particularly MRS filling stations, with petrol prices dropping to N1,282 per litre in some locations.
Findings showed that petrol supplies to MRS stations rose significantly between Friday and Saturday, leading to an unusual influx of fuel tankers across Lagos.
The increased movement of trucks reportedly caused traffic congestion along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as tankers queued to load and distribute products to various outlets.
While MRS stations are now selling petrol at N1,282 per litre, prices at other filling stations remain between N1,295 and N1,380 per litre.
Last week, the refinery announced a reduction in its ex-depot price of petrol from N1,275 to N1,250 per litre.
It also lowered the price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, from N1,800 to N1,700 per litre, providing some relief to marketers and consumers.
In a statement released on Friday, Dangote Refinery disclosed that a performance test conducted by its Process Licensors confirmed that the facility had successfully increased crude processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day.
The milestone makes the refinery the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery and demonstrates its ability to process additional crude feedstock while maintaining efficiency across production units.
Vice-President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said the company plans to more than double the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day within the next 30 months.
According to him, the expansion strategy is aimed at transforming the facility into the world’s largest refinery and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a major energy hub.
He said the project would eliminate dependence on imported refined petroleum products while positioning Nigeria as a leading exporter of fuel across Africa and beyond.
Owned by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, the refinery commenced fuel production in 2024 and has steadily increased output of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and other refined products.
The facility currently exports petroleum products to several African countries and major European markets, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
It has also supplied gasoline to the United States and exported jet fuel to Saudi Arabia.
The refinery noted that disruptions caused by tensions in the Middle East have increased demand from African countries seeking alternative sources of energy supplies.
According to the company, Dangote Refinery has become a stabilising force in the global oil and gas market, helping countries maintain energy security amid geopolitical uncertainties.
In April, Dangote Petroleum Refinery emerged as the world’s largest exporter of jet fuel, according to S&P Global Commodities.
The refinery has also played a major role in reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves and boosting local refining capacity.
Its increasing output has attracted global crude suppliers and commodity traders, with feedstock sourced from both domestic and international producers.
Aliko Dangote has outlined plans to expand the facility to a processing capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.
The expansion is expected to create thousands of jobs, boost industrial activities and improve Nigeria’s trade balance.
In addition to fuel products, the refinery is expected to support downstream manufacturing through the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), polypropylene and Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB), key raw materials used in the production of plastics, packaging materials and detergents.
