Dangote Refinery Reduces August Crude Imports to 499,000 bpd Amid Inventory Buildup

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Nigeria’s 700,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery reduced its crude oil imports to 499,000 bpd in August 2026—a five-month low—following an inventory buildup triggered by slowed operational run rates.

The import curtailment follows maintenance and repair work on the facility’s Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC), which forced the refinery’s primary crude distillation unit (CDU) to run at approximately 50% capacity during parts of July.

According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), overall Dangote Refinery’s July utilization averaged 71% (497,000 bpd), trailing the 574,000 bpd brought in during the same month and generating a storage backlog.

With the RFCC repairs completed and the CDU restored to full operational capacity, industry analysts expect crude intake to rebound sharply in September.