Nigeria has emerged as a vital crude lifeline for Senegal's nascent oil scene, shipping 30,000 barrels per day of its light Erha grade to the 30,000 bpd Dakar Refinery, which can't process the heavier local Sangomar output that's flooding Europe instead.

Senegal joined the oil club mid-2024 with Sangomar's 100,000 bpd flow—medium sour at 31° API and 1 percent sulfur—but its sole plant craves lighter feeds like Nigeria's Erha (36° API, 0.2 percent sulfur) for smooth runs, per Kpler data.

Nearly all Sangomar heads to Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, leaving Dakar to lean on Nigerian imports averaging 30,000 bpd lately, underscoring regional ties even as Senegal eyes Sangomar Phase 2 in 2027 with 33 new wells.

Yet, the West African newbie still guzzles 90,000-100,000 bpd of refined imports yearly, half from Russia in gasoil, diesel, and fuel oil, highlighting a paradox: an exporter hooked on foreign fuels.

Blending could tweak Sangomar for domestic use, but for now, Nigeria plugs the gap.Back home, local refiners like Dangote gripe over skimpy crude allocations, turning to U.S. barrels to hit fuel targets—a squeeze that flips Nigeria from supplier to seeker in its own backyard.