Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended gantry loading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), forcing trucks already positioned for product lifting to leave the facility, while several marketers simultaneously halted petrol sales across their depots, Petroleumprice.ng market intelligence has gathered.
The disruption comes barely 48 hours after the refinery introduced its dollar-denominated sales policy, raising fresh uncertainty across Nigeria's downstream petroleum market as operators await further directives on product loading and payment procedures.
Under the new pricing regime, the refinery fixed PMS at $0.779 per litre, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) at $1.087 per litre and Aviation Turbine Kerososene (ATK) at $0.942 per litre. The coastal loading price for PMS was also set at $1,044.62 per metric tonne, marking the refinery's full transition from naira to dollar-denominated transactions.
Even before Wednesday's suspension, the new pricing model had begun reshaping the downstream market.
Petroleumprice.ng had earlier reported that Dangote-linked marketers raised their ex-depot petrol price to ₦1,125 per litre, creating a ₦48 premium over the refinery's gantry price. The adjustment signalled that marketers had started factoring the additional costs associated with foreign currency settlements into their pricing.
The suspension has now intensified market uncertainty. Marketers operating within the refinery and across Lagos depots have temporarily stopped product sales, while trucks scheduled for loading were ordered to exit the refinery premises, effectively bringing gantry operations to a standstill.
Industry sources believe the temporary halt reflects ongoing adjustments to the refinery's new dollar payment framework. With loading activities suspended and marketers withholding sales, concerns are mounting over short-term product availability and the possibility of another round of ex-depot price increases.
The disruption also comes against a backdrop of elevated international crude prices, with Brent crude trading above $80 per barrel amid renewed tensions involving the United States, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. The geopolitical risks continue to fuel concerns over freight costs, marine insurance premiums and replacement costs for petroleum products.
Market participants are now awaiting the refinery's next directive. Analysts warn that if gantry loading remains suspended, the current ₦48 premium already emerging between the refinery's dollar-equivalent price and marketers' selling price could widen further, placing additional upward pressure on depot prices across the country.