(Bloomberg) -- Sasol Ltd., a South African fuels and chemical producer, increased the cost estimates for its Lake Charles Chemicals Project in Louisiana to as much as $12.9 billion.

That’s almost $1 billion more than the company expected three months ago. Sasol said in February that capital costs at Lake Charles had increased to as much as $11.8 billion and the startup would be delayed by as many as five months. The latest estimates are at least 45% higher than earlier targets for capital expenditure.

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Burkhardt in Johannesburg at pburkhardt@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Jacqueline Mackenzie

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