South African Petroleum Refinery (Sapref)

SAPREF, located on the East Coast of South Africa in Prospecton, stands as the country’s largest crude oil refinery. This joint venture between Shell Refining SA and BP Southern Africa plays a pivotal role in South Africa’s energy sector, producing an impressive 35% of the nation’s refining capacity. With its cutting-edge technology and strategic location, SAPREF is integral to fueling South Africa’s economy and beyond.

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SAPREF in Numbers

  • Refining Capacity: 24,000 tons of crude oil daily.
  • Products: 10 main products in 46 grades, including petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and more.
  • Production Output: 2.7 billion liters of petrol annually—enough to fuel 800,000 cars on a global trip around the world.
  • Infrastructure: 160,000 km of pipework and operations reaching temperatures of up to 700°C and pressures up to 120 bar.

What Does SAPREF Do?

Oil Refining

SAPREF processes crude oil transported via tankers from the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Crude oil is offloaded at a single buoy mooring (SBM) facility located 2.5 kilometers off the coast. This SBM handles 80% of South Africa’s crude oil supply. The oil is then fed into the refinery through underground pipelines, where it undergoes fractionation and conversion.

The Refining Process

  1. Fractionation
    Crude oil is heated and distilled in SAPREF’s two crude distillation units. The process separates the oil into fractions based on boiling points:
    • Heavy Fractions: Used for bitumen and other heavy fuels.
    • Middle Fractions: Includes kerosene for jet fuel and gas oil for diesel engines.
    • Light Fractions: Contains propane, butane, and naphtha.
  2. Conversion
    SAPREF uses advanced catalytic cracking technology to upgrade heavier fractions into usable fuels like petrol and diesel. The gas separation plant further processes by-products like liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

SAPREF’s Products

SAPREF produces a variety of products essential for different industries:

  • Petrol and Diesel
  • Jet Fuel
  • Lubricating Oil
  • Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
  • Paraffin and Solvents
  • Bitumen
  • Marine Fuel Oil
  • Chemical Feedstocks

These products not only power vehicles and aircraft but also support industrial processes, road construction, and home heating solutions.

Contact SAPREF

For inquiries, learnerships, recruitment, or community funding projects, reach out using the following details: