SOUTH Africa’s biggest fuel retailer Engen said on Tuesday that production of petroleum products had resumed at its refinery in Durban. ”Quantities of finished product will increase over the next few days and the refinery is expected to be producing at full capacity by the end of the week,” Engen said in a statement. The coastal refinery was shut down on may 14 for routine maintenance, but its scheduled June 16 start-up was delayed by labour disruptions. Crude oil was reintroduced into the refinery on July 4. The refinery’s closure had contributed to a squeeze on oil supplies following a fire on June 6 at synthetic fuels producer Sasol. During the maintenance shutdown, Engen upgraded certain equipment at a cost of R43-million and commissioned a new R80-million plant. Engen delisted from the Johannesburg bourse last year and is owned by Malaysia’s state oil firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd. – Reuters