The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has shipped its first petrol consignment to the United States, marking a historic milestone for Nigeria’s $20 billion facility.
According to vessel-tracking data, the tanker Gemini Pearl departed Lagos about two weeks ago and discharged its cargo in New York Harbor on Monday.
Reuters reported that the shipment, around 320,000 barrels, was purchased from Switzerland-based Mocoh Oil by international trader Vitol, which then supplied most of it to US distributor Sunoco. The cargo was delivered at Sunoco’s Linden terminal, though the exact volume retained by Vitol remains unclear.
More exports are in motion. A second petrol shipment aboard the MH Daisen, sold by Glencore to Shell, is expected to arrive in New York Harbor on September 19. A third, purchased by Vitol from Mocoh and transported on the Seaexplorer, is scheduled to dock on September 22.
The development underscores the refinery’s emerging role in global fuel markets and its potential to reshape Nigeria’s position as not just a crude exporter but also a major supplier of refined products.
