Mineral Fuels and oil products top imports

Text by Perry Kaande

Mineral fuels, oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances as well as mineral waxes are major contributors to Zimbabwe’s import bill with fluctuations between 15 to 22 percent month-onmonth.

Mineral fuels such as crude oil and natural gas occur naturally underground and have a number of uses in the energy, industrial and commercial sectors.

Without capacity for extraction and refining crude oil, Zimbabwe imports 100 percent of its petroleum fuel requirements through pipeline and road.

The major source of the mineral fuels supplied to the country is South Africa and Mozambique. However, there is on-going exploration for deposits in the Muzarabani area oil. The commodity has water-proofing and and lubricant. Petroleum Jelly, grease and paraffin distillates. The commodities’ prices are heavily dependent