Senegal Exports Oil to Europe, but Runs Its Refinery on Nigerian Crude

Nigeria has become a critical crude supplier to Senegal’s lone refinery, underscoring the paradox of Dakar’s oil sector, which still struggles to process its own production despite becoming a member of Africa’s league of oil-producing nations in 2024.

Industry data from analyst firm Kpler shows that Senegal’s 30,000-barrel-per-day (kbd) Dakar Refinery is running on Nigeria’s Erha crude, with shipments averaging 30 kbd in recent months.

“Senegal’s 30 kbd Dakar refinery, configured to process lighter, sweeter crudes, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude (36° API, 0.2 per cent sulphur), with imports into Dakar averaging 30 kbd in recent months,” Kpler stated.

Senegal’s oil paradox

Senegal began producing around 100,000 barrels per day from the Sangomar oil field last year. However, the field’s medium sour crude (31° API, 1.0% sulfur) is unsuitable for the Dakar refinery, which was designed for lighter, low-sulfur blends.

This mismatch has forced the country to depend on Nigeria’s lighter crude grades.

Analysts note that Sangomar’s crude could eventually be used locally if blended, but for now, nearly all of it is exported to Europe. Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are currently the main buyers.

Dependence on imports persists

Despite Nigeria’s need for crude oil refineries, Senegal still imports significant volumes of finished fuel.

Between 2024 and 2025, the country imported 90–100 kbd of refined products, with as much as 60 per cent sourced from Russia, mainly diesel, gasoil, and fuel oil.

“To fully meet domestic product demand, Senegal relies heavily on refined imports, particularly from Russia.

“Of the 90–100 kbd of refined products imported during 2024–2025, 50–60 per cent originated from Russia,” Kpler noted.

This means Senegal, while exporting its own oil, is dependent on Nigeria for crude feedstock and on Russia for refined fuels.

The road ahead

Kpler projects Senegal’s crude output will remain steady at around 100 kbd in the coming years, as Phase 2 of Sangomar, involving 33 additional wells, is still under review with a possible 2027 start-up. Until then, Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian refined products will continue to be central to Senegal’s energy balance.

Meanwhile, regional refining challenges are not unique to Senegal. Nigeria’s own refineries have faced persistent shortages. The Dangote refinery recently admitted it has been sourcing crude from the United States to sustain its operations, highlighting broader supply mismatches across Africa’s downstream sector.

The Dakar refinery’s reliance on Nigerian crude underscores Africa’s refining dilemma: producing oil in abundance but often being unable to process it domestically.