MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A senior energy official on Tuesday said South Africa's flagship gas-to-liquids (GTL) refinery could run out of natural gas within two years, when offshore reserves dry up.

Chairman of the board of the government's Central Energy Fund, Luvo Makasi, said: "We are in a position where between 2020 and 2022 we might not have any gas available."

Besides the financial hit PetroSA took from its drilling campaign, Makasi said it also faced a massive decommissioning bill which could threaten its financial stability. "That liability is estimated to be about R9.6 billion ($729 million)," he said.

Earlier this month Hawks spokesperson Captain Philani Nkwalase said the PetroSA investigation is in its early stages.

Fin24 reported the complaint was lodged by a community member. The suspects allegedly fraudulently claimed grants from the sector's training authority by submitting claims for ghost pupils.

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