After several failed commencement dates, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it will kick-start producing Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, and JetA1 or aviation fuel in January 2024.
However, the company would delay petrol production commencement pending crude oil supply.
DAILY POST gathered at the weekend that the facility would require a minimum of six million barrels of crude oil to kick-start the full production of refined petroleum products, including AGO, PMS, Jet A1, and Dual Purpose Kerosene, otherwise called kerosene.
But what the refinery got last week was one million barrels of crude oil, while the remaining five million barrels would arrive at the $20bn facility in another five instalments from Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited and ExxonMobil in weeks.
The development comes as the company had hinted to commence operation in October this year.
However, the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, had expressed concerns over Dangote Refinery and domestic refineries’ inability to get crude oil supply despite the country’s huge reserves.
Ex-president Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery worth $20 billion in May 2023.
