Transitioning SA's Petrochemical Value Chain

Natural gas (NG) is a fossil fuel that is extracted from under the land or sea, while petroleum gas (PG) is produced as a by-product of crude oil refining and during the extraction of natural gas. Both types of gas are used in transport, household heating, and cooking applications.

Very low temperatures and high pressures are used to liquify natural gas (to produce LNG) for transport by ship, road, or rail. Liquefaction either takes place on land, or when gas is extracted from the ocean bed it can be liquefied in a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit. Floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) can then be used to convert LNG that has arrived by ship into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to feed into a pipeline for further transport. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is also widely used as a feedstock in industry and for power generation.

Petroleum gas, which is produced by crude refineries and by Sasol, is usually distributed as a liquid called liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Sasol also produces a methane-rich gas which it uses and on-sells.