Oil marketers are anticipating the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s release of Premium Motor Spirit, or petrol, as they disclosed that the refinery management have not yet finalised a PMS price arrangement with petrol marketers, according to The Punch.
According to reports on Sunday, the Dangote refinery has once more pushed forward the delivery date of petrol till August, from July.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote had said the refinery will begin producing gasoline in August 2024 after working with the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to address its problems with the supply of crude oil.
In response to the development, dealers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria Dealers said it was not surprising that the refinery has shifted the date of PMS supply.
They stated that they were willing to lift products from the refinery, but they pointed out that the refinery had not yet disclosed the commodity’s price.
Commenting, the President, IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, said, “Yes, July was announced before, but the new date is now August. We don’t have a problem with that. The most important thing is for the refinery to start rolling out PMS.
“Maybe they have a challenge and can’t meet the July target. However, we the oil marketers have already prepared ourselves and immediately he (Dangote) starts releasing the product we are going to load.”
When asked if marketers had achieved a consensus on the price of gasoline from the refinery, the price of petrol from the refinery, the IPMAN president replied, “Up till now we are waiting for him to give us the price.
“But as I speak to you, there is no price for the PMS being produced by that refinery. So we are waiting. However, when he starts releasing the product, the price must come out. But up till now there is no price.”
The IPMAN president reiterated that independent oil marketers were ready to lift products, stressing that “we are just waiting for him to start. We have already informed all our members nationwide to start loading when he begins. We are ready to patronise him.”
On his part, the President, PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry said the shift in date from July to August did not come to his group as a surprise.
“I said initially that the July date would not work considering the many processes involved. Also on whether August would be feasible, I’ll say that they have their system and they’ll decide that,” he stated.
The PETROAN president added that the refinery’s management had yet to reveal how much one should anticipate paying for a litre of fuel produced at the refinery.
“He has not discussed PMS pricing with us. But yesterday I was talking to a team from there and we hope to know the price in due course,” he noted.
