Fire hits Dangote’s Lekki refinery

Nigerian conglomerate Dangote Industries Ltd. (Dangote Group) subsidiary Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Co. (DPRPC) has extinguished a fire at one of the plants of its 650,000-b/d integrated refining and petrochemical complex in southwestern Nigeria’s Lekki Free Trade Zone, in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos (OGJ Online, July 3, 2023).

The minor fire at the refinery’s effluent treatment plant was “swiftly contained,” the operator said in separate posts to its official social media accounts.

“There is no cause for alarm as the refinery is operating, and there is no recorded injury or body harm to any of our staff on duty,” said Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Group’s chief branding and communications officer.

Further details regarding the June 26 incident or the status of operations at the impacted wastewater treatment unit were not disclosed.

The refinery, which officially began production of diesel and aviation fuel on Jan. 13, began commercial distribution of its products after receiving necessary regulatory approvals for rollout, the company said via statements to its official social media sites.

Following launch of seaborne distribution of diesel from the site’s associated Lekki maritime terminal on Apr. 13, Dangote Group said in Apr.17 posts to its social media channels that its online supply resulted in a 30% reduction in local diesel prices compared with previous Nigerian market prices for the fuel.  

In December 2023, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission said DPRPC’s nearly $20-billion complex would be operating at a capacity of about 325,000-b/d during first-half 2024 (OGJ Online, Jan. 9, 2024).

In addition to petroleum-based and blended aviation fuel, the refinery is currently producing Euro 5- diesel, according to the company’s website.

DPRPC is scheduled to begin supply of Euro 5-quality gasoline to the market in mid-July, the Nigerian government said in mid-June.