Chevrons Cape Town Refinery To Close For Safety Checks

VENTURES AFRICA - Chevron, the US energy giant, is set to close down its South African oil refinery in Cape Town for safety checks and usual upkeep, it emerged on Friday.

The refinery, which produces 100,000 barrels per day, will be closed from February 13 to March 31 this year, according to Chevron.

"Chevron has made contingency plans to mitigate potential constraints on the supply of fuel throughout the maintenance and safety inspection period," Reuters quoted Doug Pottenger, GM at refinery, as having said.

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. It is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. It explores for, produce and transport crude oil and natural gas, refine, market and distribute transportation fuels and lubricants, manufacture and sell petrochemical products. It also generates power and produces geothermal energy, provides renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions, develop the energy resources of the future, including research into advanced biofuels.

Its origin goes back to an 1879 oil discovery at Pico Canyon, north of Los Angeles (LA), which led to the formation of the Pacific Coast Oil Co. That company later became Standard Oil Co. of California and, subsequently, Chevron. It took on the name Chevron when it acquired Gulf Oil Corporation in 1984, which nearly doubled its worldwide proven crude oil and natural gas reserves. Its merger with Gulf was then the largest in US history.