Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has clarified that recent reductions in crude oil inflows are part of a deliberate strategy to manage rising global oil prices, not the result of operational faults.
During a media tour on Friday, the company addressed public concerns about crude supply volumes and possible disruptions at the facility. Edwin Devakumar, Vice President of Dangote Industries, explained that the refinery adjusts its crude purchases in response to price fluctuations and existing inventory levels.
The 650,000-barrel-per-day facility — built by billionaire Aliko Dangote — has undergone several maintenance activities this year, temporarily reducing crude demand. “No factory operates at 100% capacity every day without challenges,” Devakumar noted. “What’s important is whether those issues affect final production.”
He added that the refinery is designed for major turnaround maintenance every five years, unlike older plants that require more frequent shutdowns.
However, Reuters has reported four separate maintenance-related shutdowns of the refinery’s gasoline unit this year — an unusually high number for a newly commissioned facility. The company has generally declined to disclose details of its maintenance schedule.
Addressing recent staff dismissals, Devakumar revealed that Dangote Refinery has recorded 22 sabotage attempts, including efforts to ignite fires and tamper with equipment. He emphasized that the plant’s advanced fire protection and automated control systems successfully averted any damage.
“There were attempted fire incidents — we have the dates and units documented,” he said. “Some individuals tried to damage instruments, but the system automatically shut down those actions.”
The Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria noted that sabotage cases are rare among local refineries. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s state-owned refineries remain inactive due to years of mismanagement and neglect.
Source:Africa Publicity
