Dangote Refinery is facing fresh operational pressure as its Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) remains shut for a prolonged period. According to global commodities intelligence firm Kpler, the downtime has limited the refinery’s ability to fully process crude, forcing it to adjust operations to keep other units running.

To manage the challenge, the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery reportedly imported gasoline in January to support supply and improve output levels. Kpler explained that the refinery has also switched to using lighter crude oil, with a gravity of about 37–39, since late 2025. This adjustment helps maintain operations while the 200,000 barrels-per-day RFCC remains offline.

The report noted that Dangote Refinery has increased imports of gasoline blending components, estimated at about 45,000 barrels per day, to cover the gap created by the RFCC shutdown. While this move supports fuel availability, Kpler said overall production growth remains uneven, with uncertainty surrounding how long the RFCC repairs will last.

Despite these challenges, the refinery has continued to signal commitment to Nigeria’s fuel market. Recently, Dangote Refinery’s management reaffirmed its goal of ensuring fuel supply and price stability, following earlier directives by Aliko Dangote to sell petrol at N739 per litre across selected filling stations. However, as of now, the refinery has not officially commented on the RFCC downtime.