Why is South Africa’s oldest crude oil refinery being converted?
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. South Africa’s oldest crude oil refinery, the 120,000 barrel per day plant operated by Engen (Enref), will be converted into a new storage facility because the refinery is no longer sustainable in the long term, the company said on Friday.
How will South Africa’s oil refinery sector change in 5 years?
South Africa ¡¯s oil refinery sector is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming five years, with Engen having already indicated that it will repurpose its refinery site in Durban as a fuel importation terminal and with global and domestic shifts likely to place significant pressure on the others.
Is Natref a surviving oil refinery in South Africa?
Natref is the last surviving oil refinery in South Africa. Three others were closed in the past two years. These refinery closures and the possible permanent closure of the Natref refinery are shots fired in the long running contestation between the oil refiners and the government, which has been trying to introduce cleaner fuels specifications.
When did the SAPREF refinery open?
The Sapref refinery was commissioned (began operating) in 1964 in the port city of Durban. It contributed 35% of South Africa¡¯s refinery capacity and refined 180,000 barrels of imported crude oil per day. It was South Africa¡¯s biggest refinery, until it was temporarily closed in 2022 after floods damaged the plant. It never reopened.
