Photo by: Bloomberg
The South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) says diesel and petrol stock availability in the country is improving.
Since the lowering of the lockdown alert levels for Covid-19 and recent price changes, Sapia members are building stock as product imports have arrived at the Durban port and pipeline deliveries have resumed.
These products will reach the inland market within 7 to 14 days, which is the lead time from Durban to Gauteng by pipeline, it notes in a June 12 statement.
During this time, supply is expected to stabilise across the country as more refineries are online and producing fuel.
The pipeline is also operational following stoppages owing to theft incidents. Sapia says it continues to monitor the situation.
State-owned entity Transnet, meanwhile, in a separate statement confirms that it has managed to meet the supply of fuel demand in Gauteng amid efforts to curb criminal incidents of fuel theft on its multiproduct pipelines, which resulted in the 24-inch multiproduct pipeline from Durban to Gauteng being damaged.
The 24-inch multiproduct pipeline runs from Durban into the inland terminals in Gauteng and it is a critical piece of economic infrastructure.
To meet the fuel demand, Transnet has had to ensure the damaged infrastructure is repaired and is able to deliver product.
In addition to strengthening of the maintenance and repair regime, Transnet, through its pipeline division, has been able to increase security capabilities and has formed partnerships with law enforcement agencies, rural communities and farmers’ associations.
This collaboration has resulted in a number of arrests and the impounding of vehicles and fuel tankers.
Transnet owns 3 800 km of high-pressure pipelines that run across five provinces conveying petroleum products, diesel, unleaded petrol, jet fuel, crude oil and gas.