Sasol

Sasol (originally Suid - Afrikaanse Steenkool en Olie, also "South African Synthetic Oil Limited" ) is a transnational companies in the petroleum and chemical industry. The company is based in Johannesburg is South Africa's second largest industrial companies. It was founded in 1950 as the South African Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation Limited for the production of fuels from gasification technologies. The company has approximately 33,000 employees worldwide (as of 2010). The company name is an acronym for South African Synthetic Oil Limited.

History

Sasol was founded in 1950 by the State Industrial Development Corporation to produce based on the Fischer- Tropsch synthesis gas from coal. The technology of coal liquefaction was considered unprofitable and was therefore operated mainly because South Africa was occupied at the time of apartheid with extensive sanctions, so the supply of crude oil was difficult, while domestic coal could be promoted inexpensive. Production began in 1955.

Beginning of 1980, Sasol bought for around 43 million U.S. dollars approximately 180,000 tons of crude oil embezzled by the owners of the tanker Salem.

In 1995 a joint venture was the Hans -Otto Schumann GmbH & Co KG (Hamburg) and Sasol Wax Ltd.. (South Africa) and made the Schumann Sasol International AG at the world's most important suppliers of synthetic hard waxes and hot glue. As part of the complete acquisition of all shares in the Schumann Sasol International AG by the Sasol Holding in Germany GmbH in 2003 was also being renamed Sasol Wax International AG, with about 1,200 employees. Building on this history Sasol Wax today offers the complete range of paraffin wax, Fischer- Tropsch hard waxes and paraffin- related products.

With the political opening of South Africa's internationalization began. 2001, the contract for the construction of a GTL plant in Qatar was signed, which started production in 2007. Other contracts for the construction of CTL or GTL plants exist in Nigeria ( 2005), China ( 2009) and Uzbekistan ( 2009). With the acquisition of Exel Petroleum 2004 Sasol is also active in the gas station business.

Business activities

The main business of Sasol is the further processing of coal and natural gas by coal gasification and Fischer- Tropsch synthesis to gasoline and raw materials for the chemical industry in Appendices 1 Sasol ( Sasolburg ) and Sasol 2 and 3 (both in Secunda ).

The company has plants in ten countries on three continents, including six in Germany. Sasol employees working in 50 countries, the German headquarters are in Hamburg.

Sasol is divided into four areas: South African energy cluster, International energy cluster, cluster- Chemical and Other Businesses.

The South African energy cluster operates coal mines in South Africa ( sasol mining), deals with natural gas from Mozambique ( sasol gas), the CTL plant operates in Secunda ( sasol synfuels ), an oil refinery and processing plant, as well as various sales activities including service stations ( sasol oil ).

Sasolburg and Secunda

The South African city of Sasolburg is named after the company, having been founded in the 1950s as a residential town for employees. The same applies to the city Secunda, which was created about 80 km east of Johannesburg in the construction of Sasol 2 in the same way.

Sasol in Germany

Sasol is represented in Germany with three activities, all of which have their headquarters in Hamburg: Sasol Wax GmbH with two plants in Hamburg, the Sasol Solvents has plants in Herne and Moers and Sasol Germany GmbH.

The Sasol Germany GmbH was formed in 2001 through the acquisition of CONDEA of RWE Dea. In its two plants in Brunsbuttel and Marl Sasol Germany produces mainly surfactants and precursors such as fatty alcohols and ethylene oxide. Sasol Germany employs around 1,400 people and generates a turnover of almost one billion euros.

Wax cartel

Sasol was the cartel leader of the so-called wax cartel that has matched the price of paraffin wax in Europe from 1992 to 2005. Sasol a fine of 318 million euros due to the participation in the wax cartel was imposed on 1 October 2008. Due to the delivery of important information on the cartel, a reduction of 50 percent was granted on repentance, otherwise the penalty would have amounted to over 600 million euros.