Refineries imported 5.13 million barrels as domestic crude supply fell by 25.4% month-on-month…..
Crude oil imports by Nigeria’s domestic refineries surged by 151.5 per cent in July 2026, reaching 5.13 million barrels from 2.04 million barrels recorded in June, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The increase came amid a significant decline in the volume of crude supplied to refineries locally, forcing operators to rely more heavily on imported feedstock to sustain production.
The NMDPRA’s July 2026 Midstream and Downstream Statistics showed that domestic refineries received 17.88 million barrels of crude during the month. Of this volume, 12.75 million barrels were sourced locally, while 5.13 million barrels came from imports.
Imported crude consequently accounted for 28.7 per cent of total refinery crude receipts in July, with domestic supplies making up the remaining 71.3 per cent.
July’s import volume was more than double the 2.04 million barrels recorded in June and also exceeded the 2.08 million barrels imported in May and 0.41 million barrels in April.
However, the July figure remained below the 9.43 million barrels recorded in March, which represents the highest monthly crude import volume by domestic refineries so far this year.
The data showed that refineries imported 0.71 million barrels in January, 4.25 million barrels in February and 9.43 million barrels in March, before imports fell sharply to 0.41 million barrels in April. Volumes then recovered to 2.08 million barrels in May, 2.04 million barrels in June and 5.13 million barrels in July.
Domestic crude deliveries also weakened significantly during the period. Refineries received 12.75 million barrels from local sources in July, down 25.4 per cent from the 17.08 million barrels supplied in June.
Total crude receipts by domestic refineries stood at 9.54 million barrels in January, comprising 8.83 million barrels of domestic supply and 0.71 million barrels of imports.
The figure increased to 13.13 million barrels in February, with domestic sources accounting for 8.88 million barrels and imports contributing 4.25 million barrels.
March recorded the highest total crude receipts for the year at 20.92 million barrels, including 11.49 million barrels supplied domestically and 9.43 million barrels imported.
In April, total receipts stood at 18.37 million barrels, comprising 17.96 million barrels of domestic crude and 0.41 million barrels of imports. The volume rose slightly to 17.92 million barrels in May, made up of 15.84 million barrels of domestic supply and 2.08 million barrels of imports.
June recorded 19.12 million barrels in total receipts, consisting of 17.08 million barrels of domestic crude and 2.04 million barrels of imports.
Dangote Refinery Performance
The NMDPRA data also showed that the Dangote Refinery operated at an average capacity utilisation of 71.09 per cent in July.
The refinery produced an average of 25.9 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, 19.1 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, and 15.6 million litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene, ATK, daily during the month.
Its average domestic supply stood at 25.8 million litres of PMS, 15.7 million litres of AGO and 1.9 million litres of ATK per day.
As of July 31, the refinery was also exporting an average of 3.4 million litres of PMS, 11 million litres of AGO and 11.6 million litres of ATK daily.
Its closing stock at the end of July stood at 446.1 million litres of PMS, 162.3 million litres of AGO and 217.4 million litres of ATK.
