CAPITAL: PRETORIA/CAPE TOWN
MONETARY UNIT: RAND
REFINING CAPACITY: 473,547 B/CD
OIL PRODUCTION: 10,000 B/D
OIL RESERVES: 29.4 BILLION BBL
GAS RESERVES: 780 BCF
South Africa pursued cooperative oil and gas initiatives with Algeria's Sonatrach during 2000.
Late in the year Sasol Ltd. said it got the government go-ahead for construction of a long-planned gas pipeline to South Africa from Mozambique. The agreement allows the two governments to own up to 50% of the pipeline, Sasol said.
The pipeline was to cost $580 million, bringing gas to Sasol's plants for conversion into diesel and chemicals. Operations were to begin in 2004.
Oribi field off Mossel Bay produced about 13,000 b/d during the year and was declining. Nearby Oryx field started up.
Forest Oil Corp. and Anschutz Corp. gauged gas and condensate at potentially commercial rates at an exploratory well on the Ibhubezi prospect on Block 2 in the Orange River basin. They held 13 million acres on Blocks 1 and 2. The Ibhubezi was the first of four in a $30 million program.
Forest was studying the feasibility of a development program it said could ultimately send Block 2 gas as far as the vicinity of the Mossgas plant near George on the southern cape. Part of the study involved a two-well subsea development scheme aimed at shortening cycle time and generating early cash flow. It would entail supply of 40-50 MMcfd of gas to a 200 Mw onshore power plant.
In the same area, Global Energy Holdings LLC, Denver, with Scott Pickford and Nigel Press Associates were carrying out a technical cooperation agreement that covers 7.16 million acre Block 3B/4B, south of Block 2.
Energy Africa Ltd. said a well drilled to test a large structure in the Durban basin off eastern South Africa was unsuccessful.
