Fresh controversy is brewing around the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as evidence has emerged suggesting that the multibillion-dollar facility may have imported high-sulphur petrol regarded as ‘dirty fuel’ from the United Kingdom (UK), raising serious questions about product quality, environmental safety, and regulatory oversight.

SaharaReporters claimed to have obtained a document showing that the petrol shipment, described as High-Sulphur Catalytic Gasoline, contained 690 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur, far above Nigeria’s legal limit of 50 ppm, as approved under the country’s Clean Fuels policy.

According to a senior industry insider, a vessel identified as MT Clearocean Mary was scheduled to arrive at the refinery’s offshore terminal on Wednesday, October 9, 2025, carrying about 37,000 metric tonnes (roughly 49.6 million litres) of petrol loaded from the Phillips 66 Refinery in Immingham, United Kingdom.

“The cargo came from the Humber Refinery and contains 690 ppm of sulphur, that’s way above Nigeria’s environmental specification,” the source said.

Nigeria’s 50 ppm limit was introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to cut vehicle emissions and protect public health.

The rule is enforced by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The source also alleged that the refinery’s Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit, the section responsible for turning heavy crude into petrol, is not currently operational.

“The FCC is not working, but Dangote keeps giving excuses, fights with DAPPMAN, issues with NUPENG and PENGASSAN, just to cover up,” the insider claimed.

In September 2025, the two major oil-and-gas unions, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, staged a strike at the facility, accusing the company of mass sacking of Nigerian workers and replacing them with expatriates.

The source further alleged that, rather than refining crude locally, the company has been importing high-sulphur fuel and selling it as if it were locally produced.

“He’ll discharge the product and start selling to the people. Nigeria allows only 50 ppm, but he brought in fuel with 690 ppm sulphur and is pretending it’s produced locally,” the source said.

Document Allegedly Confirms High Sulphur Content

A Certificate of Quality issued by Phillips 66 Limited, operators of the Humber Refinery, confirmed that a shipment of High-Sulphur Catalytic Gasoline was loaded for Dangote Nigeria on September 21, 2025, aboard the MT Clearocean Marigold.

The certificate, numbered MFG-250923-00016 and dated September 23, 2025, detailed the laboratory results from a composite sample taken after loading. It described the cargo as a light petroleum product used mainly as a blending component, not finished motor fuel.

According to the report, the gasoline appeared “clear and bright”, meaning free from water and visible impurities. Key test data included:

Density (15 °C): 0.7375 kg/litre
Boiling range: 49 °C – 155 °C
Research Octane Number (RON): 92.3
Motor Octane Number (MON): 79.3
Vapour pressure: 33 kilopascals

But the highlight was the sulphur concentration, 690 ppm, more than 13 times the limit for domestic petrol.

The sample also tested positive for mercaptans, sulphur compounds responsible for odour and corrosion. Corrosion testing gave a NACE grade C, indicating moderate corrosive potential.

“The fuel meets general gasoline characteristics but exceeds the sulphur threshold by a wide margin,” the report stated.

An analysis by SaharaReporters found that the product was unsuitable for retail sale, as it would require further desulphurisation or refining before being used in vehicles.

Detailed hydrocarbon analysis showed 12.5 per cent aromatics, 48.1 per cent olefins, 35.1 per cent paraffins, and 4.3 per cent naphthenes, a composition typical of fuel produced through the FCC process. The benzene content was 1.34 per cent, within the accepted range.

Testing followed ASTM International standards, including D86 (distillation), D4052 (density), D2699/2700 (octane), D3227 (sulphur), and D6839 (hydrocarbon type analysis), confirming that the data meet global trade requirements.

The certificate was signed by Chris J. Harper, of the refinery’s quality-assurance department, certifying it as an official record of the product’s condition.

Dangote Mum Amid Growing Scrutiny

According to SaharaReporters, repeated attempts to reach the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, were unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to his phone were reportedly unanswered as of press time.

The $19 billion Dangote Refinery, inaugurated in May 2023, was celebrated as a national milestone expected to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel. It boasts an installed capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, making it Africa’s largest single-train refinery.

However, industry monitor IIR reported that in August 2025, the refinery was planning a maintenance shutdown of its Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit due to a catalyst-loss problem that reduced its production capacity. The RFCC unit is crucial in converting heavy oil fractions into petrol and other high-value products.

Energy and environmental experts have warned that the alleged importation of high-sulphur fuel could worsen air pollution and cause long-term respiratory harm to Nigerians.

“This is a public-health issue,” said one downstream analyst who spoke with journalists.

“High-sulphur petrol releases more sulphur dioxide, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and respiratory illnesses. It also damages catalytic converters in cars.”

Nigeria already ranks among the world’s top importers of refined petroleum products, and the refinery’s alleged reliance on imported feedstock “defeats the purpose of self-sufficiency,” another expert noted.

Naijaonpoint reports that Nigeria’s battle against dirty fuel imports dates back nearly a decade.

In 2016, the United Nations estimated that about 350 million of the 500 million illicit small-arms and light weapons circulating in West Africa were in Nigeria, but the same period also saw the import of high-sulphur fuels from European refineries that could not sell them in their home markets.

The government subsequently introduced stricter fuel specification rules and cleaner fuel targets, but enforcement has remained inconsistent.

As of Friday, October 10, the NMDPRA and the Federal Ministry of Environment had not issued an official statement on the latest allegations.