Nigeria’s modular refining sector recorded a stronger performance in July 2026, led by Edo Refinery, which retained its position as the highest-utilised facility among the refineries with comparable June and July operating data, according to the July 2026 factsheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
A review of the NMDPRA data conducted by Petroleumprice.ng shows that Edo Refinery’s average capacity utilisation rose from 88.67% in June to 95.72% in July, an increase of 7.05 percentage points. The July figure means the refinery operated at more than 95% of its reported capacity during the month, placing it ahead of Waltersmith and Aradel, which also recorded month-on-month improvements.
The improvement at Edo was accompanied by higher diesel output. Its average Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) production increased from 0.079 million litres per day (ML/day) in June to 0.088 ML/day in July, representing an increase of about 11.4%.
Domestic AGO supply from the refinery increased at a faster pace, rising from 0.086 ML/day in June to 0.107 ML/day in July, an increase of approximately 24.4%.
Edo’s performance contrasts with Waltersmith, which recorded the largest improvement in utilisation among the three leading modular refineries. Waltersmith’s utilisation increased from 53.95% in June to 70.42% in July, representing a 16.47 percentage point gain.
Its AGO production also increased from 0.269 ML/day to 0.342 ML/day, a rise of about 27.1%, while domestic AGO supply moved from 0.314 ML/day to 0.341 ML/day.
Aradel recorded a more modest improvement. Its average utilisation increased from 30.73% in June to 36.32% in July, a gain of 5.59 percentage points. AGO production rose from 0.130 ML/day to 0.153 ML/day, representing growth of approximately 17.7%.
However, Aradel’s higher production did not translate into higher reported domestic AGO supply. Its domestic supply declined from 0.162 ML/day in June to 0.144 ML/day in July.
Taken together, Waltersmith, Edo Refinery and Aradel increased their combined average AGO production from 0.478 ML/day in June to 0.590 ML/day in July, an increase of 0.112 ML/day or about 23.4%. Their combined domestic AGO supply increased from 0.562 ML/day to 0.592 ML/day, representing growth of approximately 5.3%.
The July figures show that the strongest improvement was not necessarily recorded by the refinery with the highest utilisation. Edo remained the sector leader by utilisation, while Waltersmith delivered the largest month-on-month gain in both utilisation and AGO production.
Edo’s July utilisation of 95.72% also placed it well ahead of Waltersmith at 70.42% and Aradel at 36.32%. The gap between Edo and Waltersmith stood at 25.3 percentage points, while the difference between Edo and Aradel was 59.4 percentage points.
The performance was less consistent among the other modular facilities. OPAC recorded average capacity utilisation of only 0.86% in July and AGO production of 0.007 ML/day, while no domestic AGO supply figure was reported. Duport remained shut down.
The concentration of activity among a few plants means that the improvement in the modular refining segment cannot yet be regarded as a broad-based recovery. Instead, July’s performance was driven primarily by Edo Refinery, Waltersmith and Aradel, with significant differences in their operating levels.
The comparison also highlights two different measures of performance within the sector. Edo Refinery had the highest utilisation in both June and July, indicating the strongest use of its available refining capacity. Waltersmith, however, recorded the largest improvement over the period, increasing utilisation by more than 16 percentage points and raising AGO production by more than a quarter.
Aradel also moved in the right direction on utilisation and production, although its decline in domestic AGO supply shows that higher refinery output does not necessarily translate into an equivalent increase in reported domestic deliveries.
The NMDPRA data point to a stronger month for Nigeria’s leading modular refineries, with Edo Refinery maintaining its position at the top of the utilisation ranking, while Waltersmith recorded the most significant operational improvement. The performance of the remaining facilities, however, remained uneven, leaving the sector’s gains concentrated among a small group of active plants.