Sasol Announces Beneficial Operations of LCCP Ethoxylates Unit

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasol today announced that its Lake Charles Chemicals Project ethoxylates (ETO) unit reached beneficial operations on 30 January 2020. The ETO unit is the fourth of the seven Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP) facilities to come online.

"This is another significant milestone toward delivering the full promise of our Lake Charles Chemicals Project," said Sasol President and Chief Executive Officer, Fleetwood Grobler. "The safe startup of this unit is an achievement we credit to the diligent work of our employees, contractors and industry partners."

The unit, which has a nameplate capacity of 100,000 tons per year, uses a combination of technologies from Sasol and HH Technology Corporation.

The ethoxylation unit is part of Sasol's ethylene oxide value chain and adds to capacity to the company's Performance Chemicals product volumes already produced and sold on both a regional and global scale.

Ethoxylates are used in a wide range of applications including detergents and other cleaners, personal care, agrochemicals, paints and coatings, plastics additives, oil field, and textile auxiliaries.

In 2019, Sasol reached beneficial operations on its linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit, world-scale ethane cracker and ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol facility. Sasol expects beneficial operations of the Ziegler and Guerbet plants in Q4 FY20.

At the end of December 2019, LCCP engineering and procurement activities were substantially complete and construction progress was at 98%. Overall project completion was at 99% and capital expenditure amounted to US$12,5bn.

As previously announced, the LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit has been shut down following a fire on 13 January. An investigation is under way to determine the cause, extent of the damage, and the scope and timeline of repair.

About Sasol:

Sasol is a global integrated chemicals and energy company. Through our talented people, we safely and sustainably create superior value for our customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. We integrate sophisticated technologies in world-scale operating facilities to produce and commercialise commodity and specialised chemicals, gaseous and liquid fuels, and lower-carbon electricity.

Forward looking statement:

Sasol may, in this document, make certain statements that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may also relate to our future prospects, expectations, developments and business strategies. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding exchange rate fluctuations, volume growth, increases in market share, total shareholder return, executing our growth projects (including LCCP), oil and gas reserves, cost reductions, our Continuous Improvement (CI) initiative and business performance outlook. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavour", "target", "forecast" and "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. You should understand that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors and others are discussed more fully in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed on or about 28 October 2019 and in other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The list of factors discussed therein is not exhaustive; when relying on forward-looking statements to make investment decisions, you should carefully consider both these factors and other uncertainties and events. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Please note: One billion is defined as one thousand million. bbl – barrel, bscf – billion standard cubic feet, mmscf – million standard cubic feet, oil references brent crude: mmboe – million barrels oil equivalent.

All references to years refer to the financial year ended 30 June.

Any reference to a calendar year is prefaced by the word "calendar."

Comprehensive additional information is available on our website: www.sasol.com

Issued by:

In South Africa:

Matebello Motloung, Group Media Relations Manager
Direct telephone: +27-(0)-10-344-9256; Mobile: +27-(0)-82-773-9457
[email protected] 

Alex Anderson, Senior Manager: Group External Communication
Direct telephone: +27-(0)-10-344-6509; Mobile: +27-(0)-71-600-9605;
[email protected]

In the U.S.:

Kim Cusimano, North American Operations Corporate Affairs
Direct telephone: +1-(281)-588-3764; Mobile: +1-(225)-776-0758;
[email protected]

SOURCE Sasol

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