SAPREF is a joint venture of Shell SA Refining and BP Southern Africa. The crude oil refinery is the largest in Southern Africa and represents 35 percent of South Africa's refining capacity. The refinery processes 24,000 tons of crude per day, producing 10 principal products in 46 grades.
Overall, SAPREF produces 2.7 billion liters of petrol per year, which is enough fuel to for 8,000,000 cars to circle the world. There are approximately 700 employees, 500 contractors, and 208 learners at the refinery.
The project reinstated the mechanical and process integrity of equipment and piping systems in area E, for refinery Units 100, 200A, 200B, 300, 400, 500, and 700.
The shutdown included tie-in of a new 24-meter vertical shell and tube heat exchanger, a “Texas Tower,” in the platformer unit. The tower replaced 12 feed / effluent exchangers, increasing the reliability and capacity of the platformer. The tower was built from alloy steel by a South African manufacturer. It weighs 196 tons and has one of the longest rod-baffled bundles in the world.