Dangote refinery drives increase in petroleum shipments from Nigeria; EU and UK weekly fuel price reporting continues

Nigeria's seaborne petroleum product shipments

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that Nigerian petroleum product exports are playing an increasing role in the international market for petroleum products at a time when supplies from other areas have been constrained.^[3] Underpinned by the opening of the Dangote refinery in January 2024, seaborne petroleum product shipments from Nigeria averaged 561,000 barrels per day (b/d) in the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26), compared with an annual average of 79,000 b/d in 2023, according to data from Vortexa.^[3] Of those shipments, 350,000 b/d were exported in 2Q26, compared with an annual average of 46,000 b/d in 2023.^[3]

The EIA states that before the Dangote Group commissioned the new refinery, Nigeria's existing state-owned refineries shipped less than 100,000 b/d of seaborne petroleum products to various parts of Nigeria and other countries.^[3] According to the same source, products shipments expanded notably twice: first after operations at Dangote began and again following the completion of maintenance and expansion in February 2026, coinciding with supply constraints out of the Strait of Hormuz.^[3]

Refinery capacity, domestic distribution and imports

The EIA reports that maintenance completed on the Dangote refinery in February 2026 increased the facility's crude oil distillation capacity from 650,000 b/d to 700,000 b/d.^[3] With higher runs at Dangote and product trade through the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, total shipments of petroleum products (intra-Nigerian and exports) increased.^[3]

Intra-Nigerian shipments climbed to 211,000 b/d in 2Q26, up from 81,000 b/d in 2025 and 33,000 b/d in 2023.^[3] The EIA states that by shipping petroleum products to other parts of Nigeria, Dangote decreased Nigeria's reliance on imports.^[3] Nigeria imported nearly 400,000 b/d of petroleum products in 2023, and seaborne imports fell to less than 130,000 b/d in 2Q26.^[3] The source summarises that with the increased supply of petroleum products in Nigeria from the country's largest refinery, imports fell, exports increased, and Nigeria became more self-sufficient in refined petroleum products.^[3]

Export destinations and stated expansion plans

On destinations, the EIA reports that Nigeria's seaborne petroleum product exports to Europe averaged 130,000 b/d in 2Q26, up from 40,000 b/d in 2025 and 15,000 b/d in 2023, according to data from Vortexa.^[3] Exports to other countries in Africa increased as well, reaching nearly 120,000 b/d in 2Q26, up from 89,000 b/d in 2025.^[3]

Regarding future capacity, the EIA reports that the Dangote Group plans to double its refinery capacity by adding a second 750,000-b/d crude oil distillation unit by 2028.^[3] This is a stated plan of the Dangote Group as reported by the EIA. The EIA article lists as its principal contributor: Hilary Hooper, Candace Dunn^[3].

Weekly consumer price reporting in the European Union

To improve the transparency of oil prices and to strengthen the internal market, the European Commission's Oil Bulletin presents weekly consumer prices for petroleum products in EU countries.^[1] The national data and prices are submitted to the Commission on Wednesdays and our subscribers receive the bulletin per mail every Thursday.^[1]

Alongside the price series, the Commission provides information on value added taxes (VAT), excise duties, and other indirect taxes for petroleum products in EU countries.^[1] A further section offers information on price developments (with and without taxes), VAT, excise duties, and consumption of petroleum products in EU countries over time.^[1] Methodological notes on price reporting are published for individual countries, covering Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden^[1].

Weekly road fuel price statistics in the United Kingdom

The UK Government publishes road fuel price statistics providing average UK retail 'pump' prices on a weekly basis.^[2] The weekly road fuel prices table reports on the cost of unleaded petrol (ULSP) and unleaded diesel (ULSD).^[2]

The data are available in several formats: Weekly road fuel prices (Excel) MS Excel Spreadsheet, 255 KB^[2]; Weekly road fuel prices (CSV) 2018 to 2026 CSV, 19.9 KB^[2]; Weekly road fuel prices (CSV) 2003 to 2017 CSV, 33.3 KB^[2]; and Weekly road fuel prices (XML) XML, 526 KB^[2]. The page records that it was first published^[2] on 24 September 2013^[2]. The most recent update listed is dated 29 September 2026 Road fuel prices for week commencing Monday 28 September 2026 published.^[2] The preceding update was on 22 September 2026 Road fuel prices for week commencing Monday 21 September 2026 published.^[2] For enquiries concerning this table contact: energyprices.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk.^[2]

Eurabelt Publications Summary

According to the EIA, citing Vortexa data, seaborne petroleum product shipments from Nigeria averaged 561,000 barrels per day (b/d) in the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26), compared with an annual average of 79,000 b/d in 2023^[3]. Nigeria's seaborne petroleum product exports to Europe averaged 130,000 b/d in 2Q26^[3], and seaborne imports fell to less than 130,000 b/d in 2Q26.^[3] The EIA reports that the Dangote Group plans to double its refinery capacity by adding a second 750,000-b/d crude oil distillation unit by 2028.^[3] In the EU, the European Commission's Oil Bulletin presents weekly consumer prices for petroleum products in EU countries.^[1] In the UK, the Government publishes average UK retail 'pump' prices on a weekly basis^[2], most recently for the week commencing Monday 28 September 2026^[2].