Crude oil imports by domestic refineries rose sharply by 151.5 per cent to 5.13 million barrels in July 2026, from 2.04 million barrels recorded in June, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The increase came as domestic crude supplies to refineries fell significantly during the month.
The NMDPRA’s July 2026 Midstream and Downstream Statistics showed that domestic refineries received a total of 17.88 million barrels of crude in July, comprising 12.75 million barrels supplied locally and 5.13 million barrels imported.
Imported crude accounted for 28.7 per cent of total refinery receipts during the month, while domestic supplies contributed the remaining 71.3 per cent.
July’s import volume was significantly higher than the 2.04 million barrels recorded in June and the 2.08 million barrels imported in May. It also exceeded the 410,000 barrels recorded in April.
However, the July figure remained below the 9.43 million barrels imported in March, which was the highest monthly volume recorded so far in 2026.
Crude imports stood at 710,000 barrels in January before rising to 4.25 million barrels in February and reaching a peak of 9.43 million barrels in March.
Imports subsequently dropped sharply to 410,000 barrels in April before rising to 2.08 million barrels in May, 2.04 million barrels in June and 5.13 million barrels in July.
The latest data showed that domestic crude supplies to refineries declined by 25.4 per cent month-on-month, from 17.08 million barrels in June to 12.75 million barrels in July.
The increase in imported crude partly cushioned the decline in local supplies, although total crude receipts still fell by 6.5 per cent, from 19.12 million barrels in June to 17.88 million barrels in July.
Monthly crude receipts
In January, domestic refineries received 8.83 million barrels of locally supplied crude and 710,000 barrels of imported crude, bringing total receipts to 9.54 million barrels.
The figure increased to 13.13 million barrels in February, comprising 8.88 million barrels of domestic crude and 4.25 million barrels of imports.
March recorded the highest total crude receipts of 20.92 million barrels, with domestic supplies accounting for 11.49 million barrels and imports contributing 9.43 million barrels.
Total receipts stood at 18.37 million barrels in April, comprising 17.96 million barrels of domestic crude and 410,000 barrels of imports.
In May, refineries received 17.92 million barrels, made up of 15.84 million barrels of domestic crude and 2.08 million barrels of imports.
June recorded 19.12 million barrels, comprising 17.08 million barrels of domestic crude and 2.04 million barrels of imported crude.
Dangote Refinery operates at 71.09% capacity
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) per day during the month.
Its average domestic receipts 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 31 July, the refinery was exporting an average of 3.4 million litres of PMS, 11 million litres of AGO and 11.6 million litres of ATK daily.
The refinery’s 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.
The figures indicate that despite the increase in crude imports and the decline in domestic crude supplies, the Dangote Refinery maintained significant production and export volumes during the month.
