Africa’s largest oil refinery is about to make its first major leap into global gasoline markets. The Dangote refinery in Nigeria is set to ship its first gasoline cargo beyond the African continent, with a 90,000-metric-ton shipment bound for Asia this weekend, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.

The shipment will be handled by independent oil trader Mercuria, marking a new phase for the $19 billion refinery, which only began gasoline production in September 2024.

“We sell our products to those who are willing to give us the highest price. It’s the buyer’s right to take the products to any destination of their choice,” a Dangote refinery spokesperson told Reuters.

Until now, the refinery — built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote — had only exported gasoline within West Africa. With a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the facility is expected to meet all of Nigeria’s domestic fuel needs and produce surplus refined products for export.

The refinery has increasingly turned to U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude as feedstock, citing technical advantages. “WTI offers higher yields of reformate and has better gasoline blending capabilities,” Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at Energy Aspects, told Bloomberg.

In addition to fuel, Dangote has also begun exporting petrochemical products. Under an exclusive deal with Vinmar International, the refinery will export polypropylene globally. “This collaboration marks an important step in expanding the reach of high-quality polypropylene produced at Dangote’s new refinery and petrochemical complex in Lekki, Nigeria,” Vinmar said in a statement.

With this first shipment heading to Asia, Dangote’s refinery is poised to become a key player in the international refined petroleum market.