Dangote Refinery has reaffirmed that its diesel is of superior quality compared to imported equivalents and meets international standards. This follows a recent comment by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, that the quality of the refinery diesel is inferior to imported products.
The refinery stated that none of the imported diesel in Nigeria can compete with that of the Dangote refinery in terms of quality, and this can be confirmed by any expert who independently tests both products. Dangote Group Chief Commercial Officer, Rabiu A. Umar, stated this on Friday in Kano at a media chat.
“The quality of our diesel can stand the test of time anywhere in the world. We started with 600-700 PPM because it was a new plant. Now, our production is at 87 PPM, and by the end of August, it will be at 10 PPM.”
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According to him, even when the House of Representatives leadership, led by the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, visited the refinery last weekend, they decided to buy diesel from two filling stations on their way and compared it with that of the Dangote Refinery. They were amazed by the result of the quality of their product.
“The test conducted in their presence confirmed the quality of our diesel and attested to the fact that our diesel is one of the best in the world with a low sulfur level,” Umar said. “The test revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulfur content of 87.6 ppm (parts per million), whereas the other two samples showed sulfur levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm respectively.”
“We produce the best diesel in Nigeria. It’s disheartening that instead of safeguarding the market, the regulator is undermining it. Our doors are open for the regulator or any other persons to conduct tests on our products anytime; transparency is paramount to us. Our interest is Nigeria first because if Nigeria doesn’t grow, we have limited capacity for growth.”
Regarding the issue of the refinery not yet being licensed, Rabiu Umar noted that documents and facts do not lie, adding that all necessary procedures have been complied with before the refinery started operations. “Anybody can cross-check our papers; we are licensed by the authorities to commence operations.”
“NNPCL equity in our refinery now stands at 7.5% against 20%.”
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Speaking on the NNPCL equity in the Dangote Refinery, Umar said initially 20% equity was allotted to the NNPCL with some obligations expected to be met. “However, the NNPCL has not been able to meet those obligations, which reduced the equity to 7.5%,” Umar noted.
He noted that when fully operational, the refinery is expected to have the capacity to process about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest single-train refinery in the world. He described Dangote Refinery as a Nigerian and African pride that should not be allowed to die.
