Dangote refinery supplied its first gasoline cargo to the United States, with Vitol and Sunoco taking delivery.
The tanker Gemini Pearl carried about 320,000 barrels of gasoline that Vitol purchased from Mocoh Oil in Geneva. Vitol sold most of the cargo to Sunoco, though the exact volumes remain unclear.
The vessel discharged at Sunoco’s Linden facility in New York Harbor, according to vessel-tracking data.
Sources familiar with the trade shared details on condition of anonymity. Vitol, Sunoco, and Mocoh have not commented.
The Dangote refinery, one of the world’s largest, began ramping up output last year after several delays. It is expected to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports while exporting surplus to markets such as Europe.
Glencore sold a second Dangote gasoline cargo to Shell on the vessel MH Daisen, which is scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor around September 19.
Vitol also bought a third cargo from Mocoh, with the Seaexplorer expected to reach New York Harbor around September 22.
The final destinations of the pending shipments may change depending on market conditions.
Industry monitor IIR Energy reported that the refinery’s gasoline unit could shut down for two to three months for repairs, which may limit further exports in the near term.
source:reuters.com
African Energy Council