Nigeria Emerges as Key Supplier to Senegal’s Dakar Refinery Despite Sangomar Oil Boom

Nigeria has become a crucial crude supplier to Senegal’s 30,000-barrel-per-day (kbd) Dakar Refinery, even as the West African nation celebrated its entry into the league of oil-producing countries in 2024.

Senegal began producing oil in mid-2024 from the Sangomar field, with output of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of medium sour crude (31° API, 1.0% sulphur), according to industry analyst Kpler. Nearly all Sangomar production is exported to Europe, with Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands as key buyers.

Why Senegal Can’t Refine Its Own Oil

Despite being an oil producer, Senegal cannot use its Sangomar crude for its only refinery. The Dakar plant was built to process lighter, sweeter crude grades, making Sangomar’s heavier, more sulphurous crude unsuitable unless blended.

Instead, the refinery has turned to Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2% sulphur), which perfectly fits its configuration.

“Senegal’s 30 kbd Dakar refinery, configured to process lighter, sweeter crudes, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude, with imports averaging 30 kbd in recent months,” Kpler reported.

This highlights Nigeria’s strategic role as a lifeline supplier to Senegal’s domestic refining sector.

Senegal Still Dependent on Imports

Even with local oil production and Nigerian crude imports, Senegal cannot meet its domestic fuel needs. Between 2024 and 2025, the country imported 90–100 kbd of refined products, with 50–60% sourced from Russia, including diesel, fuel oil, and gasoil.

This means Senegal remains both:

• An oil exporter (Sangomar crude to Europe), and
• A fuel importer (refined products from Russia and crude from Nigeria).

Future Outlook

With Phase 2 of the Sangomar project under review—adding 33 new wells and targeting a 2027 startup—Senegal’s crude output is expected to remain steady at 100 kbd in the near term. For now, Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian refined fuels will remain central to Senegal’s energy balance.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s own refining industry continues to face crude supply challenges. The Dangote Refinery recently disclosed it was increasingly sourcing crude from the United States due to limited local supply.