Crude oil supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s trading arm surged in April 2026, with shipment records showing that more than 1.03 million metric tonnes of crude were delivered to Dangote Oil and Gas Company Limited during the month.
The volume is equivalent to about 6.8 million barrels or over 1.08 billion litres of crude oil, delivered through eight cargoes handled by NNPC Trading. The shipments reinforce the state oil firm’s role as a major feedstock supplier to the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote refinery located in Lekki, Lagos.
An analysis of tanker vessel movements indicates that the cargoes were sourced from major Nigerian crude streams, including Anyala, Bonga, Odudu, Forcados, Qua Iboe, and Utapate. The deliveries were routed through the refinery’s Single Point Mooring systems, SPM-C1 and SPM-C2.
Data from the shipping logs show that five of the eight cargoes have already been fully discharged, while three others are still awaiting berthing or final discharge, indicating a steady flow of crude inflows into the refinery.
The surge in supply comes despite continued concerns from the refinery about crude availability, as the facility requires about 19 cargoes monthly to operate at optimal capacity. Earlier reports also indicated that Nigeria imported 55.39 million barrels of crude oil in January and February 2026.
A breakdown of the shipments shows that the vessel Sonangol Kalandula initiated the supply chain, delivering 123,000 metric tonnes of crude from the Anyala field. The tanker arrived on April 5, berthed on April 8, and sailed the following day.
Another vessel, Advantage Spring, transported 128,190 metric tonnes from the Bonga stream, arriving on April 11 and completing discharge by April 13.
Similarly, Barbarosa delivered 125,000 metric tonnes from the Odudu stream, while Sonangol Njinga Mban brought in 129,089 metric tonnes of Bonga crude.
The vessel Nordic Tellus delivered 139,066 metric tonnes from the Forcados stream and completed discharge on April 17.
Three additional shipments are still in progress. Advantage Sun, carrying 142,327 metric tonnes from Bonga, has arrived but is yet to berth. Two more vessels—Advantage Spring from the Utapate stream with 120,189 metric tonnes and Sonangol Kalandula from Qua Iboe with 126,471 metric tonnes—are also awaiting discharge.
In total, the NNPC Trading cargoes account for 1,033,332 metric tonnes of crude oil supplied to the refinery in April, reflecting what industry analysts describe as a strong and sustained supply commitment to the facility.
Beyond crude deliveries, the refinery also received several shipments of refined products and blending components from international markets.
Seaways Lonsdale delivered 37,400 metric tonnes of blendstock gasoline from Immingham in the United Kingdom between April 18 and 19. Another tanker, Augenstern, supplied 37,125 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit from Lavera in France.
Additional shipments included 37,496 metric tonnes of PMS from Mongstad in Norway delivered by Emma Grace, and 36,323 metric tonnes transported from Lome, Togo, by LVM Aaron.
The vessel Egret also discharged 35,498 metric tonnes of naphtha from Rotterdam between April 16 and 18 to support gasoline blending operations.
Meanwhile, the tanker Mont Blanc I, carrying 36,877 metric tonnes of blendstock gasoline from Antwerp, Belgium, is still awaiting berthing. Another vessel, Aesop, is expected to deliver 130,000 metric tonnes of residue catalytic oil from Singapore later in April.
Apart from NNPC Trading supplies, other crude cargoes from international and domestic traders also contributed to refinery operations.
The vessel Yasa Hercules delivered 273,287 metric tonnes of crude from Corpus Christi in the United States, while Front Orkla supplied 264,889 metric tonnes from Ingleside, also in the US.
A larger regional shipment came from Cameroon, where the tanker Navig8 Passion delivered 496,330 metric tonnes of crude.
Domestic contributions also supported refinery operations. The vessel Harmonic delivered nearly 993,240 barrels from the Ugo Ocha field, while Aura M supplied 1 million barrels from Escravos, along with an additional 651,331 barrels from the Anyala stream.
Operational data indicate that most vessels berthed within one to two days of arrival and departed shortly after discharge, suggesting improved efficiency at the refinery’s offshore terminals.
The Dangote refinery, Africa’s largest single-train refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products by refining domestic crude and supplying petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and other derivatives to the local market.
NNPC Limited, through its trading arm, remains a central supplier of crude to the facility under evolving commercial arrangements in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
Earlier this month, President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed that the refinery received 10 crude cargoes from the state oil firm in March, compared to an average of about five cargoes monthly since late 2024.
Dangote noted that the shipments included six cargoes paid for in naira and four paid in dollars under the crude supply agreement between the refinery and NNPC.
