Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has ramped up crude processing to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) during a performance test by process licensors, exceeding its nameplate capacity of 650,000 ​bpd and marking a significant operational milestone, the company said on Thursday.

Devakumar Edwin, vice president for oil and gas at Dangote Industries, said the ramp-up forms part of a wider plan to expand capacity to 1.4 million bpd within 30 months, a level that could make the facility one of the largest globally.

The refinery, owned by billionaire Aliko Dangote, began producing fuel in 2024 and has since scaled up production of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

It supplies domestic markets and exports to African countries and Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands, while also shipping products to the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Dangote Refinery has become a major supplier amid global supply disruptions tied to Middle East tensions, as African buyers seek more reliable sources.

Exports climbed to 353,000 barrels per day in April from 168,000 bpd in February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler, with about half of that volume flowing to other African countries.

The surge marks a significant expansion for Africa's largest refinery and demonstrates its emergence as a regional supplier, though analysts caution that it is too early to assess whether the trend represents a lasting shift in trade patterns, particularly after exports pulled back to 285,000 bpd in May.

"We're seeing a clear shift toward regional barrels, with Dangote steadily increasing its share of Africa's seaborne fuel imports," said Mick Strautmann, market analyst at Vortexa.

The refinery has built up a large surplus of jet fuel and can supply global markets, Chief Executive David Bird said on Tuesday, as rising output attracts growing interest from international crude suppliers and commodity trading firms.