Dangote Petroleum Refinery has vehemently denied allegations of reselling crude oil shipments amidst claims of operational issues at the facility, News About Nigeria reports.
A recent report suggested that the refinery was facing technical difficulties and was allegedly reselling crude oil, including US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland and Nigerian Escravos and Forcados grades.
The report indicated that, while such practices are rare, they are not entirely unheard of in the industry.
However, Anthony Chiejina, Chief Branding and Communication Officer for Dangote Group, refuted these claims, asserting that the refinery’s crude distillation unit (CDU) is functioning optimally and that the refinery is not engaged in reselling crude oil.
In a statement released on Saturday, Chiejina dismissed the report as a deliberate attempt to undermine the refinery’s reputation.
“We categorically deny these claims. The Dangote refinery is not authorised to sell crude oil purchased from Nigeria, and our CDU is fully operational and functioning optimally. We advise the public to disregard these false narratives, which are likely driven by interests opposed to the local refining of fuels,” Chiejina stated.
The Dangote Refinery is currently facing scrutiny from Nigeria’s oil regulatory bodies, particularly the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Farouk Ahmed, head of NMDPRA, has accused the refinery and other local facilities of producing fuel with high sulfur levels, reaching up to 650 parts per million (ppm).
He also suggested that Dangote might be attempting to dominate the industry, potentially jeopardising the country’s energy security.
In response, Dangote has invited regulatory authorities to inspect his Lagos plant, expressing confidence that their products meet the highest quality standards in Nigeria.
To dispel notions of monopolistic behaviour, Dangote has also halted his plans to invest in Nigeria’s steel industry.
