JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday
13 January 2020 at 13:15 (US Central
Standard Time), Sasol experienced an explosion and fire at its LCCP
low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit.
The fire was extinguished and all employees and contractors are
safe and accounted for.
The new LDPE unit had not yet achieved beneficial operation (BO)
as planned for in December 2019. The
unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the
incident occurred. The unit has been shut down and an investigation
is underway to determine the cause of the incident, the extent of
the damage and resulting impact on the LDPE unit's BO schedule.
All other Lake Charles units and previously commissioned LCCP
units, namely the ethane cracker, ethylene glycol/ethylene oxide
and linear low-density polyethylene units, are unaffected and
operating to plan. The ethane cracker has achieved nameplate
capacity following the successful replacement of the acetylene
reactor catalyst in the plant during December 2019.
The remaining three downstream units under construction to
complete the integrated LCCP site, Ziegler alcohols and alumina,
alcohol ethoxylates and Guerbet alcohols, are also unaffected and
remain within cost and schedule as per our previous guidance.
Disclaimer - Forward-looking statements
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, our climate change strategy 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.
For further information, please contact:
Sasol Investor Relations
Feroza Syed, Chief Investor
Relations Officer
Direct telephone: +27(0)10-344-7778
investor.relations@sasol.com
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SOURCE Sasol Limited