Sasol Limited selected Fluor as the managing contractor on Sasol II because of its experience in delivering mega projects and its expertise in synfuels technologies.
Sasol and Fluor also joined together to market Sasol's coal conversion technology in the U.S.
Fluor's scope involved construction management of all but two turnkey units, procurement of bulk materials, coordination of worldwide inspection, and expediting and transportation of equipment and materials to the field. In addition, Fluor executed detail engineering for the oil refining section and performed the facility engineering. The large complex includes coal mining, gasification, and coal gas processing into myriad hydrocarbon and petrochemical products.
The Sasol II program was so massive it was divided into six distinct projects. The project teams acted virtually as autonomous jobs, with their own administrative, management, and warehouse teams.
Fluor used its worldwide procurement network to identify and purchase equipment and materials for the project. At peak, the project employed 25,000 people.
Another element of Fluor's success on Sasol II was its training program. Sasol placed a great deal of emphasis on training local resources in the construction trades. Thousands of people were trained in the various crafts, and after the Sasol III contract award to Fluor, a majority of the trained construction workers transferred to the new project.