The Sabaek sailed with about 500,000
barrels of gasoline from Dangote to the nearby commercial hub of Lagos in
recent days, according to a port report and ship-tracking data compiled by
Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the
refinery’s residue fluid catalytic cracker, a crucial unit in the production of
the fuel, is continuing to ramp up output, according to a person familiar with
the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private information.
Spokespeople for Dangote didn’t immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Once fully operational, the 650,000-barrel-a-day
plant will transform the regional gasoline market, potentially reducing the need for imports of the fuel from Europe to
West Africa. It has already shaken
up crude oil flows by
trimming an overhang of Nigerian supply.
This first shipment via
sea comes about one month after the new refinery began using trucks to transport gasoline.
A refinery’s RFCC unit helps upgrade petroleum products into more
valuable fuels like gasoline.