MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay may be the smallest of Transnet National Ports Authority's (TNPA's) commercial ports on the South African coast, yet it is the only one that operates two offshore mooring points within port limits, port manager Shadrack Tshikalange said at a meeting last week, where economic growth opportunities in the area were discussed by various stakeholders.
French oil and gas company Total recently announced the significant discovery of gas condensate off Mossel Bay.
Gas condensate is predominantly gas but with traces of oil.
It is expected that this project may generate R1 trillion for the SA economy over the next 20 years. Mossel Bay will, however, have to convince Total, which holds a 45% working interest along with Qatar Petroleum (25%), CNR international (20%) and Main Street (10%), that facilities in the region are ready to accept and process the product.
"There is a five to six year horizon to get ready for production, yet the question remains whether Total will be interested in using existing infrastructure," PetroSA operations manager Michael Nene warned.
He said Total would have to be convinced of the ease of use of local infrastructure over that of Cape Town or Port Elizabeth.
He emphasised that the Mossel Bay port should also be marketed as an enabler for the fruition of the Brulpadda project, considering its proximity to Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and taking into account the infrastructure of the region, such as the nearby George Airport.
Garden Route District municipal manager Monde Stratu reiterated that the port of Mossel Bay forms part of the district municipality integrated development plan. "The district municipality is excited about the prospects of the Brulpadda project."
The current depth of the existing harbour and proposed alterations to the current infrastructure were discussed.
One of the advantages is that Mossel Bay is home to one of the few gas-to-liquids refineries in the world. The Brulpadda find contains condensates – a kind of light crude oil – which only PetroSA's Mossel Bay refinery can process.
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