Dangote Petroleum Refinery has firmly rejected allegations of reselling crude oil, following a report by a news outlet about operational difficulties at the plant.
The report, published on Friday, suggested that the refinery, facing technical issues, was reselling crude oil from the United States and Nigeria. It also claimed the refinery was offering various grades, including US West Texas Intermediate Midland and Nigerian Escravos and Forcados crudes.
In response, Anthony Chiejina, Chief Branding and Communication Officer for Dangote Group, dismissed the report as false and misleading. “Our attention has been drawn to a report suggesting that our refinery’s crude distillation unit is facing problems and that we are reselling crude oil,” Chiejina said in a statement on Saturday. “We categorically deny these claims. The Dangote refinery is not authorized to sell crude oil purchased from Nigeria, and our CDU is fully operational.”
Chiejina urged the public to disregard the allegations, attributing them to interests opposed to local refining initiatives. He highlighted ongoing controversies involving oil regulators and International Oil Companies, with accusations of attempts to undermine the refinery’s success. Despite these challenges, Dangote Refinery maintains its commitment to its $19 billion investment in local fuel production.
