Top global oil trader Vitol and U.S.-based fuel distributor Sunoco have received the first U.S. shipment of gasoline from Nigeria’s new Dangote refinery, according to vessel-tracking data and industry sources.
The delivery, made on the tanker Gemini Pearl, is a key milestone for the 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which has been closely watched for its ability to meet U.S. fuel standards. The cargo, about 320,000 barrels of gasoline, was bought by Vitol from Geneva-based Mocoh Oil and mostly resold to Sunoco. The tanker discharged at Sunoco’s Linden facility in the New York Harbor area.
While the exact volumes sold to Sunoco remain unclear, this marks the refinery’s entry into the U.S. market after months of startup delays. Mocoh, which earlier partnered with Dangote for exports, has yet to comment.A second shipment, sold by Glencore to Shell aboard the vessel MH Daisen, is expected in New York Harbor around September 19. A third cargo purchased by Vitol on the Seaexplorer is due around September 22.
Industry sources say the destinations of these cargoes may shift depending on market conditions. For now, the exports highlight the refinery’s growing influence on global fuel flows, even though additional U.S.-bound shipments may be limited in the short term.
Source: https://guardian.ng/life/
