lubricants oil refining refinery plant in south africa

                                               
                                               
                                               
                                               
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  • Why is South Africa still refining crude oil?
  • South Africa is refining less crude oil and only two refineries remain operational as it has become increasingly expensive to operate refineries and more affordable to import refined product. The only refineries operating are a crude refinery and a synfuels refinery after the biggest crude oil refinery ceased refining at the end of March 2022.
  • Could BP and Shell sell South Africa’s oil refineries?
  • It was also possible that those refineries currently associated with international oil majors that had signalled a desire to withdraw from refining, such as BP and Shell, could seek to sell their South African refining assets, he said. BP and Shell currently own the 165 000 bbl/d Sapref refinery in Durban, which is South Africa ’s largest.
  • 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.