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Nigeria's Dangote refinery in talks with Libya to protect oil

Nigeria's Dangote refinery is in talks with Libya to protect crude for the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) plant and will likewise look for Angolan oil, a senior executive stated, as it looks for to overcome issues with domestic supplies.

The $20 billion refinery, constructed by Africa's wealthiest man Aliko Dangote on the borders of Lagos is Africa's biggest, and is designed to end Nigeria's dependence on imported fuels because of inadequate refining capacity.

Given that Dangote began operations in January, it has been unable to get adequate unrefined supplies in Nigeria, which, although Africa's biggest oil producer, is battling with theft, pipeline vandalism and low investment.

Dangote has resorted to importing crude from as far as Brazil and the United States.

We are speaking to Libya about importing crude, Dangote refinery senior executive Devakumar Edwin told late on Saturday. We will talk with Angola also and some other nations in Africa.

He decreased to provide information about the talks, but stated international traders and oil companies were amongst the biggest buyers of Dangote's gasoil, much of which was being exported.

The biggest offtakers are the two big traders Trafigura and Vitol and BP and, to some level, even TotalEnergies. However all of them are saying they are taking it to offshore, Edwin stated.

Traders and shipping information have actually shown that Dangote is increasing gasoil exports to West Africa, taking market share from European refiners.

Edwin stated Dangote's oil trading arm was functional, with personnel in London and Lagos, to assist handle supplies and sell products. first reported the prepared trading arm in March.

Nigeria's upstream regulator has clashed with Dangote, stating the sulphur content in its gasoil was above the needed limitations of 200 parts per million (ppm).

Aliko Dangote has actually rejected that, saying the sulphur level was higher when production started, but had been up to 88 ppm and would sink to 10 ppm in early August as output increases.

(source: Reuters)