Gasoline deliveries from Nigeria’s huge and strategically important Dangote refinery are delayed until July, Aliko Dangote told Nigerian media this week.

He also said the 650,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery would begin producing 10 ppm diesel by next week.

“We had a bit of delay, but it will start coming out 10/15 of July,” he said of gasoline production in a video posted by local station Channels TV.

“By third week of July, we will be able to take it into the market.”

The refinery, located in Lekki, roughly 80 kilometres east of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, had aimed to begin domestic gasoline deliveries in May.

The refinery started production in January and will be the largest in Africa and Europe when it reaches full capacity. It could upend what has been a highly lucrative Europe-to-Africa fuels trade and transform Nigeria into an exporter of fuels.
Source: Reuters (Reporting By Libby George; editing by David Evans)