Indications have emerged that lingering regulatory approvals have stalled Dangote Petrochemical Refinery’s plan to release aviation fuel (Jet A1) and diesel for sale in the Nigerian market in January.
One week after the January 31 timeline set by the management of Africa’s largest refinery to begin sale of its petroleum product in the local market, the refinery is still battling to cross the hurdles of the several layers of regulatory approvals.
The development came almost a month after the refinery began the production of petroleum products at the expansive facility.
On January 12, 2024, Dangote refinery announced that it had commenced the production of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, and aviation fuel or JetA1.
The President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in a statement issued by his firm at the time, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support, encouragement, and thoughtful advice towards the actualisation of the project.
Dangote also thanked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NMDPRA and Nigerians for their support and belief in the historic project, as he revealed that the facility would pump out diesel and aviation fuel in January, subject to regulatory approvals.
But checks on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, revealed that the plant had yet to pump out diesel nor aviation fuel, amid an anxious wait by operators in the downstream sector and Nigerians consumers.
Findings showed major and independent oil marketers were keenly waiting for the sale of refined products from the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery even though the January 2024 target for the release of fuel by the facility passed.
But multiple officials of regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector revealed to journalists on Wednesday that the facility had yet to complete the various stages of its regulatory processes.
VOP News gathered that officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA were still assessing the products being produced by the plant before the agency would issue regulatory approvals for the products’ release into the market.
