Durban rioting shuts South Africa's largest refinery

Quantum Commodity Intelligence – Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref), responsible for 35% of South Africa's refinery capacity, has implemented a force majeure due to ongoing unrest in Durban, according to local media reports Wednesday.

The Durban refinery, the largest in the country, refines around 180,000 barrels per day of crude, supplying 2.7 billion liters of petrol per year.

While the refinery itself is said to unaffected, the widespread disorder in the city is impacting supply routes leading to the shutdown.

The unrest was sparked by the arrest of former South African president Jacob Zuma but has escalated into widespread looting, meaning road tankers cannot leave the refinery.