Africa’s largest oil refinery will not be finished until the end of 2020 due to problems importing steel and other equipment, executives at Dangote, which is building the facility in Lagos said.

“We will be able to complete the (refinery) project by the end of next year – mechanical completion,” said Dangote Group Executive Director Devakumar Edwin, who oversees the project.

The company expects fuel production within two months of completion of the refinery, which could transform Africa’s biggest crude producer from a fuel importer into a net exporter, upending global trade patterns.

Billionaire Aliko Dangote, who built his fortune on cement, first announced a smaller refinery in 2013, to be finished in 2016. Dangote then moved the site to Lekki, in Lagos, upgraded the size and said production would start in early 2020.

Nigeria imports virtually all its fuel due to underutilised refineries, and even the state oil company is looking to the 650,000 barrel per day (bpd) Dangote refinery to help address this.

Price caps force NNPC to import nearly all its gasoline at a significant cost and periodic fuel shortages are common.



Despite the delays at the congested Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, a Dangote executive said the company could start using the refinery’s tank farms as a depot to warm up operations.

Edwin also said during an interview at his office in Lagos that Dangote is setting up its own trading desk, with a senior team of three people and a staff of roughly 30 who will monitor international commodity prices.

“We are setting up a complete trading desk here with us. In the next three months the full desk will be set up,” he said.

Giuseppe Surace, the refinery’s chief operations officer, said the refinery’s tank farms will be finished this year and could be used as a warm-up for operations.

The tanks will be connected to five “single point mooring buoys” (SPMs), which will allow the refinery complex to pump crude straight into tanks from large ships at sea and pump products back out onto boats of any size.

The SPMs will be the primary method of supplying oil products from the refinery, Surace said, adding that the team were considering using the tanks as training or as a depot before the refinery’s production starts.

“We might do that. We will be ready to do that,” he said, though he added that no decision had been taken yet.

The team is in talks with NNPC, two other international oil companies and two large oil traders, all of whom are interested in supplying crude and buying products, Edwin said.

Edwin said the crude unit for the refinery, which set sail from China last month, would arrive by the end of October.

The trains at a fertilizer plant on the same site will start up by the end of this year, the executives said.

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1UY27N

Wahala dey oo

2020 is loaded ooh

MDG ... 2020

Vision 2020

Now Dangote Refinery 2020

Useless shift

Seems only large scale operations would happen in 2019.

Nigeria projects sef

The naija factor

Okay oo

Era of subsidy ending!

WE ARE WAITING FOR THE DATE COMPLETION

This refinery is taking just too long

Nigeria get a lot of problems including policy Summersault

What goes on well according to plan in Naija?
When they busy importing steel and other minor items.
2020 is just around the corner, if they don't shift it again.

Unfortunate

And our old refineries will die off completely. We'll I can't wait for the premium fuel.

Hmmm

as in hiccup pup

Expected. No major project is ever delivered within budget and timeline

See what a country as rich as Nigeria could not do is what an individual is doing. I pity my nation Nigeria

Call for painting and screeding of ur house including wall panels and papers 08155306992

Dangote is playing a game with this refinery.

ornicus:
Expected. No major project is ever delivered within budget and timeline

So untrue.

I trust Nigerian politicians and their British counterpart on this one. That project will be on hold till the end of buhari tenure. People who are ready to frustrate his plan so that they keep importing fuel from Britain.

Wiseandtrue:

2020 That was the original plan now

By 2020 again, it will move to 2021 na so till Buhari's tenure will end!!!

In a country with a vision, is this supposed to be one person project

What does Dangote know about oil or refineries Did he study any in the university

One person from one major tribe handling our major natural resources yet this government keep saying that oil is becoming outdated, they will diversify

Yet in 2019\2020, they are spending heavily still searching for the oil in the North

Hmmmmmmm when will Nigeria be better

I support the #REVOLUTION NOW# team!!!

If truly Buhari believed in one Nigeria, he could have gotten a business man, those with technically know how from the 3 major tribes to handle this project!!!

I am just saying...

how can you just decide to talk nonsense this early morning?

Take your Time and analyze the trash you spilled up there.

REVOLUTION NOW on keyboard ba? Mtcheew

Go warm a seat please!

Ok

As expected, huge projects like this almost always experience these sort of delays.

wetin go be go be.

Wiseandtrue:

If you have a better idea bring it up if not Abeg go back to bed!!! This debate is not for small bois waiting to collect MB change from daddy!!!

There is no debate on-going here! I've told you to stop spilling trash! Oh it's a female moniker �‍♂️ I give up!