Nigeria has become a major source of crude for the Dakar Refinery in Senegal, which processes 30,000 barrels per day, while the nation marked its inclusion among oil-producing countries last year.
Senegal started extracting oil in mid-2024 from the Sangomar field, which generates approximately 100,000 barrels per day of medium sour crude (31° API, 1.0 percent sulfur), as stated in a report from industry analyst Kpler.
The report indicated that nearly all of this output is sent to Europe, with Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands receiving the majority of shipments.
However, even though Senegal is an oil producer, it is unable to supply its only refinery with its own crude oil. According to industry data, the 30 kbd Dakar Refinery is designed to process lighter, sweeter grades, which makes Sangomar's heavier, more sulfur-rich crude unsuitable.
Alternatively, the refinery has started using Nigeria's Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulfur), which is suitable for its processing capabilities.
Kpler states that over the past few months, Nigeria has imported roughly 30 kbd of Erha to Dakar, highlighting Nigeria's function as a vital supply for Senegal's refining infrastructure.
"Senegal's 30 kbd Dakar refinery, designed to handle lighter, sweeter crude oils, is currently operating using Nigeria's Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulfur), with imports into Dakar averaging 30 kbd in recent months," Kpler noted.
Refineries are constructed to process specific types of crude oil. The Dakar facility was developed for light, low-sulphur oil, making Nigerian grades such as Erha a perfect fit.
It was discovered that Sangomar crude would need to be mixed before it could be handled domestically.
Nevertheless, Nigeria's crude oil exports only cover a portion of Senegal's fuel requirements. The nation continues to depend significantly on imports of refined products.
From 2024 to 2025, Senegal imported between 90 and 100 kbd of fuels, with up to 60 percent sourced from Russia, primarily gasoil, diesel, and fuel oil.
"To completely satisfy local product demand, Senegal depends significantly on refined imports, especially from Russia. Out of the 90–100 kbd of refined products imported between 2024 and 2025, 50–60 percent came from Russia, primarily gasoil, fuel oil, and diesel," the report stated.
This suggested that although Senegal, an oil-exporting nation, depends on Nigeria for crude oil processing materials, it also relies on Russia for refined fuels.
With Phase 2 of Sangomar being considered, which includes 33 new wells and a potential start-up in 2027, Kpler anticipates that the country's crude production and exports will stay stable at 100 kbd for the coming years, keeping Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian fuels as the main components of Senegal's local energy mix.
In the meantime, regional refineries have consistently expressed concerns over the limited availability of crude oil to their plants.
The Dangote refinery mentioned that it is progressively depending on oil from the United States to fulfill its daily fuel manufacturing needs.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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