Nigeria has emerged as a key crude supplier to the Dakar Refinery in Senegal, despite Senegal celebrating its entry into the league of oil-producing nations last year.

Senegal commenced pumping oil in mid-2024 from the Sangomar field, which yields approximately 100,000 barrels per day (kbd) of a medium sour crude (31° API, 1.0 per cent sulphur), according to a report by industry analyst Kpler.

The report indicated that nearly all of this production is currently exported to Europe, with the majority of cargoes being taken by Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.

However, even as an oil exporter, Senegal cannot feed its only refinery with its own crude because the 30 kbd Dakar Refinery is configured to process lighter, sweeter grades, making Sangomar’s heavier and more sulphurous crude unsuitable.

Instead of using its domestic production, the refinery has relied on Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulphur), which is a suitable match for its processing capacity.

Kpler reports that in recent months, Nigeria has imported about 30 kbd of Erha into Dakar, underscoring Nigeria’s vital role as a lifeline for Senegal’s refining system.

Kpler stated: “Senegal’s 30 kbd Dakar refinery, configured to process lighter, sweeter crudes, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulphur), with imports into Dakar averaging 30 kbd in recent months.”

Refineries are built to handle specific crude oil specifications, and the Dakar plant was designed for light, low-sulphur oil, making Nigerian grades like Erha an excellent fit. It was learned that Sangomar crude would require blending before it could be processed locally.

Despite relying on Nigeria for crude feedstock, Senegal’s crude exports only partially meet its overall fuel demand, as the country remains heavily dependent on refined product imports.

Between 2024 and 2025, Senegal imported 90 to 100 kbd of fuels, with as much as 60 per cent originating from Russia, mainly comprising gasoil, diesel, and fuel oil.

The report confirmed this reliance, stating: “To fully meet domestic product demand, Senegal relies heavily on refined imports, particularly from Russia. Of the 90–100 kbd of refined products imported during 2024–2025, 50–60 per cent originated from Russia, mainly gasoil, fuel oil, and diesel.”

This data indicates that Senegal, an oil-exporting nation, relies on Nigeria for its refinery crude feedstock while simultaneously depending on Russia for finished fuels.

With Phase 2 of Sangomar currently under review, which includes 33 new wells and a tentative 2027 start-up, Kpler expects the country’s crude output and export to remain steady at 100 kbd for the next few years, leaving Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian products as the main pillars of Senegal’s domestic energy balance.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s local refineries have consistently raised concerns about the low crude supply to their facilities, with the Dangote refinery stating it is increasingly relying on crude from the United States to meet its daily fuel production requirements.