Dangote halts blendstock intake as domestic petrol supply falls 21% — NMDPRA

Nigeria’s domestic petrol supply fell by 20.6 per cent in July 2026, even as petrol imports increased, highlighting a renewed shift in the country’s fuel supply mix, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The Authority’s July 2026 Midstream and Downstream Statistics showed that average daily Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) receipts from domestic refineries dropped to 25.8 million litres per day (ML/D), from 32.5 ML/D in June. The July figure represents the lowest domestic petrol supply recorded in the first seven months of 2026 and is 37.1 per cent below the 40.1 ML/D recorded in January.

The decline occurred despite an increase in imported petrol, which rose by 8.8 per cent from 18.1 ML/D in June to 19.7 ML/D in July.
With the increase in imports unable to fully offset the drop in domestic supply, combined PMS receipts declined by 10.1 per cent from 50.6 ML/D in June to 45.5 ML/D in July.

Dangote stops blendstock intake

One of the notable developments in the July data was the halt in the intake of gasoline blendstock and intermediates by the Dangote Refinery. NMDPRA data showed that intake of the products fell from 48.27 million litres in June to zero in July. The development marks a significant change from earlier months when the refinery relied on imported blendstock as part of its feedstock mix. The refinery had recorded substantial blendstock intake earlier in the year, including 658.31 million litres in January, before volumes fluctuated in subsequent months.

Despite the stoppage, the Dangote refinery recorded an average capacity utilisation of 71.09 per cent in July. The refinery produced an average of 25.9 ML/D of PMS during the month, of which 25.8 ML/D was supplied to the domestic market, while 3.4 ML/D was exported. It ended July with 446.1 million litres of PMS in stock.

Imports regain ground

The July figures point to a growing role for imports in balancing Nigeria’s petrol market as domestic refinery receipts weakened. Imported PMS accounted for about 43.3 per cent of total daily petrol receipts in July, compared with about 35.8 per cent in June.

However, July’s import volume remained below the 24.8 ML/D recorded in January, indicating that the country has not returned to the level of import dependence recorded at the beginning of the year. The trend represents a reversal from February through May, when domestic refineries supplied the overwhelming majority of petrol consumed in the country. Domestic PMS supply reached a seven-month high of 41.5 ML/D in May before falling to 32.5 ML/D in June and further to 25.8 ML/D in July.

Crude supply to refineries falls

The weaker domestic petrol receipts also came amid a decline in crude oil deliveries to domestic refineries.

NMDPRA reported that average crude oil receipts by domestic refineries fell by about eight per cent from 0.632 million barrels per day in June to 0.585 million barrels per day in July.

Total crude receipts stood at 17.88 million barrels in July, comprising 12.75 million barrels of domestic crude and 5.13 million barrels of imported crude.

The figures suggest that crude availability and refinery operations remain important factors in determining the volume of refined products available to the domestic market.

Fuel stocks improve

Despite the decline in petrol receipts, Nigeria’s fuel stock position improved during the month. NMDPRA reported that PMS stock sufficiency increased by 14 per cent to 22.4 days in July, up from 19.7 days in June. Diesel stock sufficiency also improved by 25 per cent to 46.5 days. The stronger inventory position provides some buffer for the market despite the decline in daily petrol receipts.

Refinery output extends beyond petrol

The Dangote refinery’s July performance also showed significant output of other petroleum products. Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, production averaged 19.1 ML/D. The refinery supplied 15.7 ML/D to the domestic market and exported 11 ML/D, ending the month with 162.3 million litres of diesel in stock.
Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) production stood at 15.6 ML/D, with 1.9 ML/D supplied domestically and 11.6 ML/D exported. Closing ATK stock stood at 217.4 million litres.

The developments come as Nigeria’s refined petroleum product trade continues to change following the expansion of domestic refining capacity. Recent data from the US Energy Information Administration also showed that Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum-product exports have risen sharply since the Dangote refinery began operations, while imports have declined.

For Nigeria, the July NMDPRA figures therefore present a mixed picture: domestic petrol supply weakened and imports increased, but fuel inventories improved and the country continued to record significant exports of refined petroleum products.