Dangote Refinery No Be Importer, Na Merchant Model Dem Dey Run

My people, gather here make I drop hot gist for una! David Bird, wey be the Managing Director for Dangote Petroleum Refinery, don clear the air say dem no dey import finished petroleum products. E talk say dem dey operate as merchant refinery, no be like those ones wey just dey suck crude oil from pipeline alone.

During wetin dem call technical presentation wey happen for Lekki, Lagos, Bird explain say the refinery set up na different style wey no follow wetin Saudi Arabia and UAE dey do, wey dem dey sit down for pipeline dey process crude oil only. No no no! Him talk say them dey source crude oil and feedstock from all over the world, thanks to sea delivery. So dem fit mix different kinds of crude and components together, no wahala.

E even show us how e dey work—say the refinery get big tank farm pass the processing units! Na storage be the koko here. E go make sure say different crude dem dey stored well, so dem fit blend and process am anyhow dem like. E be like say na cocktail dem dey prepare for refinery side. Different crudes dey give different products like LPG, naphtha, kerosene, and diesel. Therefore, if dem no add additional feedstock, some units go dey underutilized, and na money dem wan make!

Bird dey emphasize say e no just about separating crude; na to turn low-value materials into high-value products matter pass. Him talk that one wey dem dey use advanced conversion units like the Residue Fluidised Catalytic Cracker. Dis na where the real moneymaker dey! E show say dem dey crack heavy residue wey nobody wan touch for crude distillation and turn am to high-value white products.

But wait, make e drop more tea. Bird talk say no be fuel dem dey import, but intermediate feedstocks. Na those semi-finished materials, and no go even touch ground for petrol station. Them fit process high-sulphur reformate wey other refineries dey export, but Dangote get the ability to turn am to pure gasoline wey meet Euro 5 specification. Dem no dey carry the rubbish wey no fit enter car for pump!

Him even talk say some local Nigerian condensates dey look clean but low on octane—they go reach only 75 octane. Na wah! E emphasize say refinery fit upgrade all those intermediate streams to finished fuels wey meet international top standards. Currently, dem dey produce petrol wey get 50 parts per million sulphur, and dem ready to push am to 10 ppm when Nigeria upgrade dem fuel specifications.