Page 25 - SAPREF 50 year

Fifty years of progress
Although SAPREF is 50 years old, investments over the years have kept the refinery in tip-top condition.
1977:
Debottlenecking of the Cat Cracker and installation of a new Cat Cracker feed preparation unit. Visbreaker unit constructed.
1982:
Hydrocarbon solvents plant built to produce most of South Africa’s requirements for special solvents for use in paint, printing ink, mining and odourless kerosene for aerosol carriers. Cost: R22million.
1983:
VBR Vacuum Flasher installed. Cost: R22,5million.
1985:
New training centre built.
1986:
Crude Distiller 1 decommissioned — the end of an era.
1987:
SAPREF ends association with the Point installation and related bunker pipelines at the Point.
1990:
New Control Room commissioned. Cost: R70million.
1990:
PP splitter built, boosting the purity of polypropylene. Known as the ‘three sisters’. Cost: R30million.
1991:
Blending plant at Island View gets automatic filling line. Cost: R5million.
1992:
The blending plant at Island View becomes independent of SAPREF under the new name of Blendcor.
1994:
Crude Distiller 3, with a design capacity of 6200t/d, is commissioned. Cost: R450million.
1997:
Site 3 at Island View gets a new and much bigger admin building, including control room, changeroom, messroom, ablution facilities, offices and a training room.
1998:
A new facility for the SAPREF-operated Joint Bunker Services is built. Work also starts on replacing the undersea pipeline to the SBM. Completed in 1999. Cost: R60million.
1999:
‘Red flag’ raised when a performance review established that certain aspects of SAPREF’s performance needed improvement. ‘Red flag’ lowered in 2001.
2000:
Launch of SAPREF’s new logo symbolising the company’s new people-orientated culture.
2000-2001:
Berths 7 and 8 at Island View upgraded.
2001:
A leak in a transfer line to Island View is found in Tara Road. A massive recovery and remediation operation swings into action.
2002:
New SRU4/SCOT plant reduces sulphur dioxide emissions by 46%.
1963:
Crude Distiller 1 and Integrated Unit built.
1967:
Luboil plant built. Cost: R13million.
1969:
Single Buoy Mooring becomes operational.
1969:
Cat Cracker unit built. Cost: R20million.
1972:
Second crude distillation unit (CD2) commissioned, along with new utilities unit.
Crude Distiller 1 was shut down for the last time on 19 December 1986, after 23 years of service. In a poignant ceremony, Ockert van Coppenhagen, the shift foreman who actually started the pump for the first time on 18 August 1963, was accorded the privilege of switching it off for the last time. He is seen here, left, shutting off the pump, with the shift foreman Darryl Jeycock.
Reinforcing for stack foundation, 15 March 1968.
COMMEMORATING 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
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