Nigeria: Dangote Refinery's petrol unit may remain offline for months

Nigeria’s 650 thousand-barrel-per-day Dangote refinery’s petrol unit may have to remain offline for two to three months , which could lead to a tighter market.

It was shut down on 29 August following catalyst leaks and is due to restart on 20 September.

But industry monitor, IIR Energy, says major repairs and equipment replacement could keep the gasoline unit shut for months.

Since it began processing crude oil in January last year, the refinery has reshaped global gasoline trade flows, reducing imports from the European Union and United Kingdom.

A report earlier this week also noted a surge in petrol exports from the Dangote Refinery, coinciding with the partial or complete shutdown of units in the Middle East.

One trader says the news of a possible longer shutdown will further tighten what is already a strong market.