NEWS
Middle East Crisis Forces DPRP to Buy More Crude Locally
The raging US-Iran war which has continued to put pressure on the global oil markets has compelled refiners and traders to rethink traditional supply routes.
Consequently, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP), has increased its sourcing of crude oil from Nigeria.
The development is providing support for Nigerian crude grades while reinforcing the country’s push to process more of its oil domestically. It comes amid shipping and cargo delivery records that revealed a total of 1.83 million metric tonnes of crude oil from Nigerian production streams in May 2026.
The deliveries, made through the refinery’s offshore Single Point Mooring terminals, SPM-C1 and SPM-C2, involved 15 crude cargoes sourced from some of Nigeria’s biggest oil-producing assets. The crude grades supplied to the facility included Qua Iboe, Bonny Light, Bonga, Forcados, Utapate, Okwori and Odudu.
The increased reliance on domestic feedstock underscores the growing role Nigerian crude is playing in sustaining operations at Africa’s largest refinery at a time of heightened uncertainty in the international oil market.
According to Bloomberg, the DPRP has stepped up purchases of Nigerian crude as overseas buyers scale back acquisitions of some West African grades amid concerns over Middle East oil supplies.
The shift has reportedly helped strengthen premiums for Nigerian crude relative to Angolan grades, highlighting how geopolitical tensions are beginning to reshape long-established trading patterns.
The report read, “Nigeria’s massive Dangote refinery is boosting purchases of the country’s crude, helping to stem waning demand for grades from West Africa in light of uncertainty over the resumption of oil shipments from the Middle East.
“Dangote’s ramp-up in buying has boosted the price of Nigerian crude grades compared with those from Angola. The two countries make up the backbone of West Africa’s oil market but have seen premiums for their physical crude grades take different directions as the Iran war drags on.”
Beyond the immediate effect on crude pricing, the trend reflects a deeper transformation within Nigeria’s oil industry.
For decades, Nigeria exported most of its crude oil while depending heavily on imported refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand. The establishment of the $20bn DPRP was intended to reverse that trend by creating sufficient local refining capacity to process a significant share of the country’s crude output.
Now, with global energy supply chains under pressure from the Iran conflict and concerns over the security of key shipping routes, the refinery is emerging as one of the largest domestic buyers of Nigerian crude.
The development could help retain more value within the Nigerian economy through increased local processing while reducing the country’s exposure to volatile international fuel markets.
The refinery’s growing appetite for Nigerian crude comes at a time when it is expanding its operational capacity. Earlier this month, the company announced that it had processed 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day during a performance test, surpassing its official nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
The feat marked the first time the facility had exceeded its installed capacity and further cemented its status as the largest refinery on the African continent. The company is also seeking to raise approximately $1bn through a private placement ahead of a planned public listing, in a move expected to value the business at about $39.1bn.
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In addition, the refinery’s influence is increasingly extending beyond Nigeria’s borders. Exports of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel from the facility have expanded across African markets and into other international destinations, helping to reduce the continent’s dependence on fuel imports from Europe and the Middle East.
At least 11 people, including six children, have died after a fire swept through a market and surrounding buildings in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region.
The deadly blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread to several tightly packed shophouses and structures in the area.
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According to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung, firefighters battled the inferno for more than three hours before eventually bringing it under control.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries,” Manurung said in a statement.
He said five of the victims were adults, while the other six were children aged between two and nine years.
The fire destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses despite the deployment of fire trucks and water cannons by emergency responders.
Manurung said the tightly packed arrangement of the houses and market stalls contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and made firefighting operations more difficult.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the deadly fire.
The incident adds to a series of deadly fires recorded in Indonesia in recent years.
In December, 22 people were killed when fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia also claimed at least 12 lives.
The latest tragedy has left the Paniai community mourning as authorities continue efforts to establish what triggered the devastating blaze.
United States President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after suggesting that New Mexico should be given a new name.
Trump made the proposal on Sunday in a social media post, saying several people had suggested changing the name of the southwestern US state.
He described the proposed alternative as “more prestigious and beautiful” for what he called an “incredible State,” adding that he loved the idea.
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The White House later reposted an image illustrating the proposed change, with the word “Mexico” in New Mexico’s name crossed out and replaced.
However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham swiftly rejected the suggestion, insisting that the state’s name was not open for debate.
Speaking to Fox News, Lujan Grisham said the name had belonged to the state since before the United States existed.
She also accused Trump of seeking to distract Americans from pressing issues, including soaring gas prices.
The latest proposal is part of a broader pattern of name-change suggestions by Trump since returning to the White House.
Trump previously moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America shortly after beginning his second presidential term in 2025, a move rejected by Mexico.
Last week, he also suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz, although he later appeared to indicate that he was not being serious about the proposal.
Trump has additionally proposed changing the name of Lake Ontario, a move that has been rejected by Canada.
Some US media reports have suggested that the latest New Mexico name-change idea may have originated as an internet hoax before being amplified by the president.
Despite Trump’s suggestion, Governor Lujan Grisham has made clear that there is no debate over changing the state’s name.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has left for vacation in Europe even as he ordered a probe into the emerging dispute over the kingship of Koka town in Obokun Local Government.
According to a government house statement on Sunday in Osogbo, the governor will also embark on medicals as part of the vacation and is headed to the United Kingdom among other destinations to be announced later.
“I am taking a short break to refresh and get further prepared to serve the good people of Osun state”, the governor stated while taking off at the Lagos airport.
He however directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to probe the circumstances surrounding the reported appointment of another king for Koka Ilase, leading to alleged two kings in the same town.
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The ministry was instructed to review the situation and enforce due process of the law in respect of the chieftaincy law and tradition.
“I read of another King appointed outside the one on the stool. The ministry is hereby directed to look into the dispute and issue a report to set the records straight.
“I however urge all stakeholders to remain peaceful as the ministry does the needful. Kingship is governed by extant laws and regulations and the government will stand by the law and tradition of our people”, the governor posited.
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