NICE TO see South African oil executives venturing out of their shells into the public domain. Years of secretive backroom "relationships" with the powers-that-be have got them absolutely nowhere in breaking down the Gordian Knot of misperceptions and fairy tales surrounding their industry.
Recently we saw BP's Communications Manager writing some sense in Business Day and then the big boss of BP in South Africa, Sipho Maseko, made sensible public statements about the state of the industry.
Now another oil executive has hit the papers with some home truths our leaders should notice. Shane Seechoonparsad, planning manager at Total South Africa, pointed out that South Africa might have to import 1 billion litres of motor fuel this year, most of which would be diesel.
One wonders if the Department of Minerals and Energy knows what that means and whether it has joined the dots between Shane's statement and the shortage of diesel Cape Town experienced last week.
So let's spell it out: In Cape Town, one off-spec import of diesel meant the Mother City's motorists couldn't get diesel for a week or so. One ship. Just one. Once the word gets out that South Africa HAS to import diesel, every sharp trader will be angling to offload off spec diesel onto us. Only the efficiency of Chevron saved us this time. Keep it up chaps, you deserve a medal.
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