Nigeria has become the main supplier of crude to Senegal’s only refinery, despite Dakar joining the ranks of oil-producing nations in 2024.
Senegal’s production began mid-last year at the Sangomar field, with output of about 100,000 barrels per day of medium sour crude (31° API, 1% sulphur), according to energy analysts at Kpler. However, nearly all of this crude is exported to Europe, with Spain, Italy and the Netherlands receiving most of the shipments.
The irony is that Senegal’s 30,000-barrels-per-day Dakar Refinery cannot process its own crude. Built to handle lighter and sweeter grades, the plant is unable to run on Sangomar’s heavier blend.
Instead, the facility now relies on Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2% sulphur), which is a better fit for its system. Industry data show that imports of Erha into Dakar have averaged around 30,000 barrels per day in recent months.
Kpler noted that the refinery has been running steadily on Nigerian supplies, making West Africa’s largest oil producer a vital source of feedstock for Senegal’s downstream sector.
