Dangote Refinery offshore terminal hits 1,100 tanker calls, targets 1,000 yearly

Dangote Petroleum Refinery's offshore marine terminal has recorded about 1,100 tanker calls since it began operations. The facility now handles around 75 tanker visits every month, with traffic expected to rise to between 900 and 1,000 calls annually as the refinery reaches full capacity.

Captain Rana gives details on marine operations

The Head of Port Infrastructure and Marine Operations at Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Captain Satendra Singh Rana, disclosed the figures during a tour of the refinery's marine facilities for participants of the Global CEO Africa Programme of the Lagos Business School (LBS).

Speaking at the refinery's Landfall Point, also known as the Trestle, Rana said the facility serves as the gateway between the refinery and its offshore marine infrastructure. 'We are now clocking about 75 tanker calls a month. We are looking to scale to 900 to 1000 tanker calls per year as the refinery is ramped up to full capacity already,' he stated.

'Today we have clocked approximately 1100 tanker calls already, changing the energy landscape and maritime economy, bringing Nigeria to the forefront, not only by the refinery but for the maritime trade as well.'

How the offshore terminal system works

Rana explained that the Landfall Point is where pipelines from the refinery offshore Single Point Mooring (SPM) terminals come ashore before connecting to the refinery processing facilities. Crude oil arriving aboard large tankers is discharged at the offshore SPMs before travelling through subsea pipelines into storage tanks, where it is processed through crude distillation as well as secondary and tertiary refining units.

Once refined, finished petroleum products are pumped through separate pipelines back to the offshore terminals for export or domestic distribution. The refinery operates five offshore SPM terminals, comprising two dedicated to crude oil imports and three used for loading refined petroleum products.

Rana said the offshore loading system was adopted because very large crude carriers require natural water depths of about 21 to 22 metres. This allows the refinery to receive some of the world's biggest oil tankers without expensive capital or maintenance dredging. One of the largest vessels to berth at the terminal delivered three million barrels of crude oil, while Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) carrying around two million barrels routinely call at the refinery. The terminal also regularly receives one million-barrel cargoes aboard Suezmax tankers from both local and international sources.

The offshore location provides operational advantages including the absence of cyclones, typhoons and other severe weather events, enabling marine operations to continue throughout the year. Ships berth directly at the SPM terminals, where floating hoses connect them to pipelines anchored to the seabed. This eliminates the need for ship-to-ship transfers.

What the refinery means for Africa's industrial future

The Academic Director of the Global CEO Africa Programme at Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, Enase Akinwuntan, said the Dangote Petroleum Refinery demonstrates the scale of industrial projects that Africa is capable of delivering. 'Led by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and funded with local resources, the refinery symbolizes a bold commitment to advancing Africa's industrial capabilities,' he said.

Akinwuntan said the refinery's significance extends beyond Nigeria's downstream oil sector, noting that it illustrates how large-scale private sector investments can strengthen regional trade and industrialisation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He added that refining crude oil domestically while exporting refined petroleum products shows how value addition can improve a country's trade position, reduce dependence on imports and create new sources of foreign exchange earnings.

The tour also took participants through the refinery's gantry, processing area, laboratory, main control room, crude oil storage tanks, and concluded with a session in the conference room.

What this means for the naira and Nigerian businesses

The ramp-up of the Dangote Refinery's marine operations signals growing domestic refining capacity that could reduce Nigeria's reliance on imported petroleum products. Higher local production and exports of refined products have the potential to ease pressure on the naira by cutting demand for foreign exchange used for fuel imports and by generating new dollar earnings from exports.