Dangote raised petrol supply to 960m litres in December – NMDPRA

Fuel availability and stock levels improved in December 2025, with the supply of petrol rising to 74.2 million litres per day and national stock sufficiency expanding to over 29 days, according to a factsheet released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on Thursday.

This came as petrol supply from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery strengthened the downstream market in December 2025, with the refinery’s PMS output rising by 12.54 million litres per day, from 19.47 million litres daily in November to 32.01 million litres daily in December.

This means the refinery supplied 960.3 million litres of petrol in December, up from 584.1 million litres supplied in November 2025.

The NMDPRA’s December 2025 factsheet, released by the authority on Thursday, showed that PMS domestic supply rose from 71.5 million litres per day in November to 74.2 million litres per day in December, a development linked largely to increased local supply from the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote refinery, alongside structured import arrangements.

The NMDPRA’s December 2025 factsheet, which outlines key performance indicators across the midstream and downstream petroleum value chain, showed a stronger supply position compared to November, amid higher fuel consumption and modest gains in domestic refining and gas supply.

Data from the regulator indicated that PMS domestic supply increased from 71.5 million litres per day in November to 74.2 million litres per day in December, while daily PMS consumption surged significantly from 52.9 million litres to 63.7 million litres over the same period.

Despite a sharp rise in daily petrol consumption, from 52.9 million litres in November to 63.7 million litres in December, fuel availability improved markedly, with PMS stock sufficiency jumping from 16.65 days to 29.20 days within one month.

The report read, “Performance data show that PMS (petrol) domestic supply increased from 71.5 million litres per day in November to 74.2 million litres per day in December, while daily PMS consumption rose from 52.9 million litres to 63.7 million litres. As a result, national petrol stock sufficiency improved significantly from 16.65 days to 29.20 days.

“Supply of PMS under the DPRP framework also climbed from 19.47 million litres per day to 32.01 million litres per day within the period. In contrast, Automotive Gas Oil domestic supply declined from 20.4 million litres per day in November to 17.9 million litres per day in December, even as daily AGO consumption increased from 15.4 million litres to 16.4 million litres.”

The regulator explained that domestic supply figures reflect volumes received into coastal depots as well as products trucked out from domestic refineries, including Dangote, whose growing contribution has increasingly reshaped fuel distribution patterns across the country.

A further breakdown of PMS inflows showed that the Dangote Petrochemical Refinery supply increased significantly to 32.01 million litres per day in December, from 19.47 million litres per day in November, complementing local refinery output and helping to stabilise the market during the peak festive demand period.

Providing further insights into domestic refinery operations, the authority noted that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery operated at an average capacity utilisation of 62.94 per cent in December 2025, supplying 32.012 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit daily to the domestic market, below its planned 50 million litres per day for the month, according to industry performance data.

The refinery also supplied an average of 5.783 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil per day, reinforcing its position as Nigeria’s dominant source of locally refined fuels.

In contrast, Nigeria’s state-owned refineries remained largely inactive during the period. The Port Harcourt Refinery did not record fresh production as it stayed in shutdown mode, although evacuation of previously produced AGO averaged 0.247 million litres per day from stocks generated before operations halted on May 24, 2025.

The Warri and Kaduna refineries also remained shut throughout December. It noted that “with PHRC, WRPC and KRPC still offline, domestic fuel supply in December was driven almost entirely by Dangote refinery output, underscoring the scale of reliance on the privately owned facility.”

The improved supply position came even as petrol demand rose sharply in December, traditionally a high-consumption month due to increased travel and commercial activities, underscoring the growing role of domestic refining in cushioning seasonal demand spikes.

In contrast, Automotive Gas Oil supply declined slightly, with domestic supply falling from 20.4 million litres per day in November to 17.9 million litres per day in December, even as daily consumption increased from 15.4 million litres to 16.4 million litres.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas domestic supply stood at 5.2 metric tonnes per day during the period, as the regulator continued to push policies aimed at expanding LPG adoption for household and industrial use, in line with Nigeria’s energy transition and clean cooking objectives.

On the refining front, the NMDPRA disclosed that it issued one Licence to Establish and one Licence to Construct in December, maintaining the same pace recorded in November, as investor interest in modular and conventional refinery projects remained steady.

The authority also provided an update on the Waltersmith Refinery in Imo State, noting that Train 2 of the facility, with a capacity of 5,000 barrels per day, had completed pre-commissioning activities. According to the regulator, hydrocarbon introduction is expected by January 2026, a development that could further boost domestic supply and reduce dependence on imports.

In the midstream segment, domestic natural gas supply recorded a marginal increase, rising from 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November to 4.787 Bscf/d in December, reflecting incremental improvements in gas production and delivery to the domestic market.

The NMDPRA cautioned that figures contained in the factsheet remain subject to reconciliation with operators and may be adjusted slightly, in line with ongoing hydrocarbon accounting processes.

The December performance comes amid sustained reforms in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, following the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, which has separated regulatory oversight across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. The NMDPRA has repeatedly stressed the importance of accurate data, improved infrastructure utilisation, and increased domestic refining capacity as key pillars for achieving fuel security and price stability.

The expansion in PMS stock sufficiency and steady growth in gas supply could help cushion the downstream market against supply disruptions in early 2026, particularly as new refinery projects come online and logistics efficiency improves.(Punch)