Johannesburg - Listed integrated energy and chemical group Sasol’s synfuels business produced 8 millions barrels of refined product in the first quarter of the current financial year.
The company said a planned shutdown at Sasol Synfuels operation affected production in the quarter to end September. The shutdown has since been completed.
In the year ended 30 June 2015, the synfuels business produced 32.9 million barrels.
A planned shutdown at the company’s Natref refinery will affect full year volumes, Sasol said. In the first quarter the refinery, which is part of Sasol’s energy business, processed 5.7 million barrels of crude oil. The energy business also includes the ORYX gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar and the Escrarvos GTL plant in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, in the Exploration and Production International (EPI) business, natural gas production in Canada was 4.7 billion standard cubic feet. Sasol said production in Canada has gone down because of reduced drilling in the past financial year.
Production was, however, expected to increase marginally with the completion of additional wells, Sasol said. Sasol has shale gas assets in Canada.
The mining business’ saleable production for the quarter was 9.6 million tons. In the year ended June, mining production was 39.2 million tons. Sasol Mining operates six coal mines which supply feedstock for the company’s Secunda synfuels plant and the Sasolburg operations.