Dangote Refinery Management claims that only about three per cent of local oil marketers patronise the refinery since it commenced production of diesel and aviation fuel early this year has been faulted by marketers.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President, Dangote Industries Limited, asserted yesterday that only about three per cent of local oil marketers are purchasing refined products from the 650,000 barrels per day refinery.
“The conglomerate of all oil marketers is refusing to buy from us. It is very strange that after putting up the refinery to supply the products locally, we have to export every diesel and jet fuel because they do not want to buy from us,” he said.
Faulting Devakumar, local oil marketers said despite some impediments allegedly created by the refinery management, “we have continued to patronise the refinery between April and September this year. “
Quoting from records at their disposal, which they claimed to have sourced from the database of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), they said local oil marketers, at various times between April 9 and September 9 2024, loaded about 30 vessels laden with over 17,000 metric tonnes of products.
The local companies that patronised Dangote Refinery during the period in question include Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Sahara Energy, MRS Oil & Gas, Rainoil, NIPCO, A.A. Rano, UGL (NIPCO), AYM Shafa, TMDK and Prudent Petroleum in addition to 33 others local oil marketers.
They said available data showed that these local companies berthed their vessels, loaded products and departed the refinery to their various depots at various times between April and September this year.
Olufemi Adewole, Executive Secretary of DAPPMAN, in an earlier media interface, had asserted that local oil marketers are excited about the entrance of Dangote Refinery into the Nigerian downstream sector and that there is no reason for members of his association not to patronise the refinery as long as there is a level playing field and room for healthy competition.
(The Nation)
