Crude oil imports by Nigeria’s domestic refineries rose sharply in July 2026, increasing by 151.5 per cent to 5.13 million barrels, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The latest figure represents a significant jump from the 2.04 million barrels imported by domestic refineries in June, as local crude supplies to the facilities declined during the month.
NMDPRA’s July 2026 Midstream and Downstream Statistics showed that domestic refineries received 17.88 million barrels of crude during the month. Of this volume, 12.75 million barrels came from domestic sources, while 5.13 million barrels were imported.
Imported crude therefore accounted for 28.7 per cent of the total crude received by local refineries in July, with domestic supplies making up the remaining 71.3 per cent.
July’s import figure was also higher than the 2.08 million barrels recorded in May and the 410,000 barrels imported in April.
However, the July volume remained below the 9.43 million barrels recorded in March, which was the highest monthly crude import volume for domestic refineries so far in 2026.
Domestic Crude Supply Falls
While imports increased significantly in July, domestic crude deliveries to refineries moved in the opposite direction.
NMDPRA data showed that domestic crude supply fell by 25.4 per cent month-on-month, dropping from 17.08 million barrels in June to 12.75 million barrels in July.
The figures show that domestic refinery crude receipts have fluctuated considerably throughout the year.
In January, refineries received 8.83 million barrels of domestic crude and 710,000 barrels of imports. Total receipts increased to 13.13 million barrels in February, comprising 8.88 million barrels domestically and 4.25 million barrels imported.
March recorded the highest total receipts at 20.92 million barrels, before volumes declined to 18.37 million barrels in April, 17.92 million barrels in May and 19.12 million barrels in June.
Refinery Output in July
The data also showed that the refinery produced an average of 25.9 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) per day in July.
Daily average production also stood at 19.1 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 15.6 million litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK).
Average domestic receipts during the period were put at 25.8 million litres of PMS, 15.7 million litres of AGO and 1.9 million litres of ATK per day.
The refinery also exported an average of 3.4 million litres of PMS, 11 million litres of AGO and 11.6 million litres of ATK daily as of July 31.
Dangote Refinery Operates at 71% Capacity
The NMDPRA report further revealed that the Dangote Refinery operated at an average capacity utilisation of 71.09 per cent in July.
At the end of the month, its stock levels stood at 446.1 million litres of PMS, 162.3 million litres of AGO and 217.4 million litres of ATK.
The latest figures highlight the increasing role of imported crude in supplying Nigeria’s domestic refineries at a time when local crude deliveries experienced a notable decline.
Source: NMDPRA.
