Nigeria has emerged as the main crude supplier to Senegal’s only refinery, even as the West African nation marked its entry into the ranks of oil producers last year.
Senegal began pumping oil in mid-2024 from the Sangomar field, producing around 100,000 barrels per day of medium sour crude. But almost all of this output is exported to Europe—with Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands taking the bulk of cargoes—leaving the 30,000-barrel-per-day Dakar refinery dependent on lighter blends from abroad.
Industry tracker Kpler reports that the refinery, designed to handle lighter, sweeter grades, is currently running on Nigeria’s Erha crude, with imports averaging 30,000 barrels per day in recent months. Sangomar’s heavier, more sulphurous crude is unsuitable for the plant unless blended.
Despite the oil find, Senegal’s domestic fuel balance is far from secure. The country still relies heavily on imports of refined products, particularly from Russia. Between 2024 and 2025, Dakar brought in 90,000–100,000 barrels per day of fuel, more than half of it Russian gasoil, diesel and fuel oil.
“Senegal, an oil exporter, now depends on Nigeria for refinery feedstock and Russia for finished fuels,” Kpler noted.
With a second phase of the Sangomar project under review, involving 33 new wells and a potential 2027 start-up, analysts expect Senegal’s crude output to remain steady at 100,000 barrels a day for the next few years. That leaves Nigeria’s Erha crude and Russian refined products as the twin pillars of the country’s energy supply.
Meanwhile, refiners elsewhere in the region are voicing similar frustrations. The Dangote refinery in Nigeria has disclosed that it is increasingly turning to U.S. crude to keep its massive plant running.
