中國石化新聞網訊 據彭博社1月11日報導，能源諮詢公司Citac預計，嘉能可(Glencore Plc)和南非國家石油公司(Petroliam Nasional Bhd)擁有的佔南非煉油產能43%的煉油廠將至少關閉產能至2022年。
嘉能可(Glencore)旗下的Astron Energy公司尚未重啟開普敦(Cape Town)日產10萬桶的煉油廠，該煉油廠7月份發生了致命爆炸和火災。此外，馬來西亞國家石油公司旗下的恩根控股有限公司(Engen Holdings Ltd.)在德班的工廠也在去年12月發生火災後停產。
南非總產能超過每天50萬桶的四家煉油廠都發生過事故或正在接受審查，加上該行業已經受到新冠肺炎疫情的嚴重打擊，另外，一個懸而未決的國家清潔燃料政策也可能增加機器升級的成本，這些都將迫使南非嚴重依賴進口燃油。
Engen表示，其日產12萬桶的工廠正在考慮各種選擇。此前一家當地新聞網站報導稱，該工廠預計將在2023年關閉，並可能被改造成燃料存儲終端。Citac分析師艾麗莎?格奧爾基耶娃(Elitsa Georgieva)表示，如果該計劃在兩年內完成，重新啟動它將毫無經濟意義。
荷蘭皇家殼牌公司(Royal Dutch Shell Plc)和英國石油公司(BP Plc)的合資企業Sapref煉油廠也面臨著不確定性，因為殼牌正在評估其在該業務中的持股。Sasol Ltd.對煉油廠進行審查以來，也一直在猶豫不決。
王佳晶 摘譯 彭博社
原文如下：
Almost Half of South Africa’s Oil Refining Seen Shut Until 2022
South African plants owned by Glencore Plc and Petroliam Nasional Bhd that make up 43% of the nation’s oil-refining capacity are expected to stay shut until at least 2022, according to energy consultant Citac.
Astron Energy Ltd., a unit of Glencore, has yet to restart the 100,000 barrel-a-day Cape Town refinery after a deadly explosion and fire in July. Petronas unit Engen Holdings Ltd.’s Durban plant also stopped production in December after a fire.
The closures will force South Africa to rely heavily on fuel imports. All four of South Africa’s oil refineries -- with a total capacity of more than 500,000 barrels a day -- have had accidents or are under review, with the industry already hit hard by the Covid pandemic. A pending national clean-fuels policy is also likely to increase costs to upgrade machinery.
The Astron Energy Ltd., a unit of Glencore Plc, oil refinery stands beyond residential housing blocks in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday, July 2, 2020. At least three people died in an explosion and a fire at a South African oil refinery owned by a unit of Glencore.
Engen said options are being considered for its 120,000 barrel-a-day plant after a local news website reported it’s expected to shut in 2023 and may be converted into a fuel-storage terminal. If the plan is to close in two years, 「it would not make economic sense to invest into bringing it back up,」 said Elitsa Georgieva, an analyst at Citac.
Astron and Engen didn’t immediately reply to emailed requests for comment.
The Sapref refinery, a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc, also faces uncertainty as Shell reviews its shareholding in the business. Sasol Ltd. has also been deciding on plans for its Natref refinery since conducting a review of the plant.