Dangote Coastal PMS Loading Resumes After Eight-Day Suspension

Dangote Petroleum refinery resumed Coastal PMS Loading after an eight-day suspension, a development expected to improve fuel supply to coastal depots and reduce pressure on petrol distribution across parts of Nigeria.

The refinery resumed Coastal PMS Loading at a new price of $1,161.23 per metric tonne, representing an 11.2 per cent increase from the previous rate of $1,044.62 per metric tonne.

Industry sources said customers using the coastal channel were notified of the resumption on Tuesday, while actual Coastal PMS Loading operations began on July 21.

The suspension of Coastal PMS Loading had started on July 15, shortly after the refinery introduced a dollar-denominated pricing structure for refined petroleum products.

Market operators said the resumption of Coastal PMS Loading would help restore product flow to coastal depots, although the full impact on nationwide fuel availability would depend on the restart of gantry truck loading.

During the suspension, marketers relied on private depots to replace lost volumes, contributing to a rise in ex-depot petrol prices in Lagos.

Sources indicated that gantry operations may resume in the coming days, with expectations that a revised gantry price could accompany the reopening.

The refinery had earlier linked its shift to dollar-based sales to challenges in securing adequate crude supply under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude arrangement.

Analysts said the return of Coastal PMS Loading is a positive development for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, as it is expected to gradually stabilise fuel supply in affected regions through consistent Coastal PMS Loading operations.