The crude is stored in 15 crude storage tanks in Durban, then pumped approximately 600km in distance and approximately 5000ft in elevation to the Natref oil refinery. Due to its inland location, near the industrial heartland of South Africa, the refinery is sited in a place where the market for heavy fuel oil is quite limited.
What is the Natref Refinery at Sasolburg?
The Natref refinery at Sasolburg was commissioned in 1971 and has been at the cutting edge of refining technology since its inception. Situated inland, the refinery’s market for heavy fuel oil was quite limited. As a result, it was designed to get the most out of crude oil and equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
Who bought South African petroleum refineries (Sapref)?
bp PLC¡¯s bp Southern Africa (bpSA) and Shell PLC subsidiary Shell Downstream South Africa (SDSA) have found a buyer for their 50-50 joint venture South African Petroleum Refineries (Pty.) Ltd.¡¯s (SAPREF) previously idled 180,000-b/d refinery in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa ( OGJ Online, Feb. 11, 2022 ).
How many refineries are there in South Africa?
Once equipped with six domestic refineries with a combined capacity to process 703,000 b/d of crude into finished products, as of yearend 2023, South Africa had only one fully operable 100,000-b/d refinery at Milnerton, in Cape Town, operated by Glencore PLC-owned Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd., results of OGJ¡¯s annual worldwide refining survey showed.
