Strong call for revitalisation

Rail must be incorporated
more efficiently and effectively
into oil and gas operations in
Africa to address escalating
logistics costs, according to
Mike Daniel of RSSA.
“Fuel efficiencies alone call
for a rail revitalisation,” Daniel
told the Oil & Gas Logistics
2016 conference in Cape
Town recently. “Rail
can move 1mt of freight
for 176km on 1lt of fuel.
The road equivalent is
only between 46 and
56km,” he said. “The
carbon footprint gain is
also large with at least
3.8 times less carbon
produced on rail than
on road.”
But, said Daniel, it
was not only the cost
benefit that required
the oil and gas sector
to look at rail, but the
human element.
“Road transport has
been able to provide a
service in a cost-effective
manner but we have a
problem. The increased
fatalities on the roads are
a concern. South Africa
is unfortunately a world
leader in deaths by highway
freight vehicles.”
Daniel said a further reason
to look at rail was the
impact on infrastructure.
“By incorporating
more rail we will
reduce the cost of road
infrastructure. There will
be no need to ban trucks
off the roads if certain
freight or route sections
were moved to rail.”
Daniel said the oil and
gas industry had largely
to date been serviced
by road, but a bi-modal
system incorporating
both road and rail made
far more economic sense
with real efficiency
benefits.