Contribution
The South African oil sector is a crucial player in the global economy, and plays a vital role in driving economic growth and national development. Oil exploration and production in the sector has undergone significant developments and transformations over the years, including innovational processes of converting algae to oil, waterless drilling, Smart Oilfields, and carbon capture storage. Pioneered by Sasol, sustainable developments have also taken place that developed the technologies behind Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) and Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) solutions.
Best Valves for Oil
The butterfly valves’ streamlined design features a disc that rotates in the flow path, minimising obstructions and pressure drop, and reducing the likelihood of sediment accumulation and clogging. This helps maintain a smooth flow and prevents unnecessary wear on valve components.
Replaceable or resilient seat materials such as EPDM, NBR, or Teflon offer durability against abrasive particles, making the Butterfly Valve one of the best valves for mining, prolonging the valve’s lifespan in harsh environments.
The inherent one-way flow design ensures that fluids move in a singular direction, preventing backflow and maintaining the integrity of the refining processes. This prevents contamination, enhances operational efficiency, and safeguards equipment.
Check valves operate automatically without the need for external controls, minimizing maintenance requirements, additional staffing resources, and complex technological implementations, making operations cost-effective and efficient.
A strainer’s screen effectively filters out impurities such as debris, sediment, and contaminants from the flowing oil stream and safeguards crucial equipment including pumps, compressors, and valves. This prevents potential damage, reduces maintenance frequency, and helps ensure uninterrupted operations.
With easy access to the strainer plug, removal of obstructions and clearing of debris without having to remove the striner from the pipeline makes the strainer a hassle-free component in the clean running of oil filtration.
Top Oil Based Products In South Africa
South Africa relies on a variety of oil-based products to fuel its economy and meet the diverse needs of its population. From Petroleum, to Liquified Petroleum Gas and Fuel Oil and Bitumen for the construction of roads, the oil industry has far-reaching impacts on the daily lives of South Africans.
Diesel
With domestic demand greater than production, diesel powers essential sectors such as transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing. While diesel is the highest-consumed oil-based downstream product, at 12.9 billion litres annually, ongoing efforts are influencing diesel’s future to address energy efficiency and transitions towards cleaner alternatives.
Petrol
With demand being met by supply, petrol is exclusively used in transport and has a wide national spread. 95 Octane is the highest-demanded petrol stream, in an industry that consumes over 10.8 billion litres of petrol annually. Availability and pricing significantly impact mobility patterns and consumer spending and the market dynamics of petrol are intricately linked with global oil markets, domestic demand trends, and government policies.
Kerosene / Aviation Fuel
Airport infrastructure investments and travel trends are the primary influencers of jet fuel, the supply of which is currently being met with consumption at 3.1 billion litres annually. As air travel and cargo transportation continue to grow, so too shall the demand for kerosene.
Fuel Oil
This versatile and dense liquid fuel is essential for industrial processes, power generation, and maritime activities, contributing to the country’s energy security and economic growth. It has an even demand and supply balance, consuming 2.1 billion litres annually, some of which gets exported to other countries and into international marine bunkers.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Providing a flexible and cleaner alternative to traditional fuels, LPG is favoured by the consumer market and supply can sometimes be constrained due to import capacity and seasonal peak demands. Produced during the oil refining process, it is used in cooking and heating, transportation, refrigeration and cooling, and in some instances, power generation. Over 800 million litres of LPG is consumed annually.
