Wikipedia

UK oil pipeline network

The United Kingdom petroleum pipeline network is principally made up of three pipelines systems: the former Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS) now the Exolum Pipeline System; the Esso pipelines (principally the mainline and midlines), and the United Kingdom Oil Pipelines (UKOP) and associated pipelines. There are also several other lines including the Fina line built around 1990 that runs from North Lincolnshire to the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead.[1]

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Oil pipeline network in England

GPSS

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The GPSS was originally constructed between 1941 and 1944 and then extended after the war, most notably during the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s.[1] The first commercial pipeline to be constructed in the United Kingdom was built in 1959 by Shell-Mex and BP from the GPSS depot at Walton on Thames to Heathrow Airport. This pipeline now forms part of UKOP (West London). In 1963 Esso built their own pipeline from their Fawley refinery to London Heathrow.[2] The Esso Main and Midlines constructed in the 1970s and 1980s respectively. The Esso pipeline from Fawley to London is due to be replaced, with the preferred routes G and J – North and South of Alton Pumping station being announced in June 2018.[3][4] For a further description see Exolum Pipeline System.

UKOP

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United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Act 1966
Act of Parliament
 
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to empower United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Limited to acquire lands; and for other purposes.
Citation1966 c. xxix
Dates
Royal assent9 August 1966
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted

The United Kingdom Oil Pipeline (UKOP) is an oil products pipeline opened in 1969 and connecting the two (then) Shell refineries of Stanlow (Cheshire) and Shell Haven (Thames Estuary). UKOP is owned by a consortium of five shareholders Essar Midlands Ltd, BP, Shell, Valero and Total. UKOP is administered and operated by the British Pipeline Agency (BPA),[5] which is jointly owned by Shell and BP.[6] As part of the UKOP network, in 1982 BPA began work a pipeline from Walton to Gatwick and this was substantively complete by the end of the year. However, in 1983 the pipeline had to be shut down and was not brought back into operation until 1984.[7] In 1985 the UKOP pipeline from Kingsbury to Buncefield was commissioned.[8]

UKOP transports 7.5 million tonnes of mixed products each year distributed to major oil terminals at Buncefield and Kingsbury with spurs to Northampton and Nottingham. UKOP now draws its products from Essar Stanlow[9] in the north, with smaller volumes from tankage at Shell Haven. UKOP carries two grades of petrol, two grades of kerosene (including Jet A-1) and two grades of gas oil-diesel.

To ensure safety and integrity, the pipeline is patrolled by helicopter every two weeks.

Petroleum product pipelines

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A list of UK petroleum pipelines. Pipelines are multi-product lines with batches of product separated by pigs, except for single product lines where shown, for example aviation kerosene.

UK refined products pipelines[10][11][12]
From To Length

(km)

Diameter

(inches)

Capacity

(1000 tons/month)

Operating pressure (psi) Year constructed Notes
Aldermaston Newbury 6 725
Aldermaston Sandy 110 8/10 80 725 1941 A/S line
Aldermaston Walton on Thames 8/10 725
Alton Gatwick airport 10 1100 Aviation kerosene, operated by Shell
Astwood Tee Birmingham airport 50 12 1200 Astwood Tee on Hythe to Seisdon line
Avonmouth Walton on Thames 80/135 1941–44 A/T line
Avonmouth Aldermaston 8/10 180 + 80 725 1941 A/A line
Avonmouth Stanlow 220 8/10 100 725 1941–42 N/S line via Gloucester, Upton, Worcester, Stourport and Beeston Castle terminals
Avonmouth Hythe/Fawley 6 1440 Aviation kerosene
Backford Bromborough/ Ellesmere Port 10 725
Backford Misterton 160 8/10 80 1941–44 B/M line
Backford/Stanlow Manchester airport 10 450 1994 Aviation kerosene, via Plumley
Bacton North Walsham 8.3 6 720 1968 Gas condensate, owned by Shell operated by British Pipeline Authority
Berwick Wood Portishead/Nailsea 16 725
Buncefield Walton on Thames 6/8 1300 via Longford junction (spur to Heathrow airport) Aviation kerosene
Cadishead Carrington Tee 12 Aviation kerosene
Calne Fairford//Carterton 6 1100
Carrington Tee Manchester airport 12 1400 Aviation kerosene
Claydon Thetford 8 1200 Aviation kerosene
Claydon Woodbridge 6 725
Colnbrook Heathrow airport 12 200 Aviation kerosene
Former Coryton refinery now Thames Oilport Stanlow 394 10, 14 1200 1969 UKOP run by British Pipeline Agency, Thames-Mersey line via Buncefield terminal, Blisworth (spur to Northampton), and Kingsbury terminal
Falmouth St. Mawgan 8 1100
Fawley Esso West London oil terminal[4] 105 10/12 1000 1972 Aviation kerosene
Fawley Severnside 126 6
Fawley Seisdon 14 1100
Fawley Shanklin 1941–44 F/S line
Grain Nettlestead Tee 120 6/8 80/95 725 1941–44 Nettlestead Tee on Walton to Dungeness line
Hamble Aldermaston 65 8/10 120 725 1941–42 R/H line
Hethersett Buxton (Norfolk) 6 725
Hythe/Fawley Seisdon Aviation kerosene
Inverness Lossiemouth 8 1100
Kingsbury Buncefield 10/12 1200
Lindsey refinery (Killingholme) Buncefield terminal 150 10 1500 1990 Fina line, operated by BPA, via Immingham Docks
Linkswood Leuchars 6 232
Middlesborrough Saltend (Hull) 153 12 30 tons/hr
Milford Haven Seisdon 234 16 Aviation kerosene, 'Mainline'
Misterton Lincoln/Tattershall 8 725
Mossmorran Stanlow 410 15 Northern UK NGL-Ethylene System, via Wilton, TPEP Trans-pennine
Plumley Goostrey 10 450
Purfleet Gatwick airport 10 1100 Aviation kerosene, Shell
Rawcliffe Elvington/Northallerton 8 725
Saffron Walden Stansted airport 6 1100 Aviation kerosene. Built by the US Air Force in 1954 but was never commissioned. Refurbished in 1990 as part of the redevelopment of Stansted airport.
Saffron Walden Hethersett 8 75 725 1941–44 TH/N line (part)
Saffron Walden Sandy 37 8/10 95 725 1941 TH/N/S line
Saffron Walden Woodbridge 8 1200 via Claydon
Sandy Kelmarsh 8 725
Sandy Misterton 110 8/10 80 725 1941–43 S/M line
Seisdon Carrington Tee 112 12 Aviation kerosene
Seisdon Nottingham 112 10, 12 1400 'Mainline via Kingsbury
Stanlow Backford
Stanlow Bromborough 400 + 350 + 55 + 55 1941–44 Bromborough balance tanks
Stanlow Killingholme 10/12 1100 Former GPSS via Bramhall and Rawcliffe terminals
Stanlow Kingsbury 10 1200
Stanlow Runcorn 8 1305 Ethylene, RSEP
Stanlow Carrington 4 652 Propylene
Stanlow Carrington Ethylene, SCEP
Teesside Saltend 12 1160 Ethylene, TSEP
Tetsworth Islip/Somerton 6/8 725
Thames Haven Saffron Walden 60 8/10 95 1200 1941–44 TH/N line (part)
Theddlethorpe terminal Killingholme refinery 6 900 Theddlethorpe terminal decommissioned 2018
Thetford Ingham/Barton Mills 6/8 725 Aviation kerosene
Thetford Shouldham/Tattersett 8 725 Aviation kerosene
Tranmere Stanlow 16 652 Fuel oil
Walton on Thames Dungeness 8 95 725 1941–44 T/D line
Walton on Thames Gatwick airport 36 10 1300 1984 Operated by BPA
Walton on Thames Heathrow airport 6 720 1959
Stanlow Grangemouth North West Ethylene Pipeline, NWEP
Wilton Grangemouth 10 1390 Ethylene, WGEP

Crude oil pipelines

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In addition to the petroleum products pipelines there are a number of crude oil pipelines transporting crude oil from offshore installations to coastal terminals and from terminals to refineries.[13][14][15][16] The sources give various and conflicting lengths and capacities.

UK offshore to onshore crude oil pipelines
From – To Length (miles) Diameter (inches) Max. waterdepth (feet) Capacity (bbl/day) Original operator Year commissioned
Beatrice – Nigg Bay 42 16 Britoil 1981
Bruce – Forties/ Cruden Bay line 155 24 Total 1993
Cormorant South – Sullom Voe 93 36 420–540 Shell/Esso 1978
Ekofisk – Teesside 220 34 220–300 300,000 Phillips 1975
Forties – Cruden Bay 106 36 430 550,000 BP 1991 (replaced 32 inch line)
Montrose – Forties/ Cruden Bay line 39 14 Amoco 1993
Ninian – Sullom Voe 105 36 492 1,000,000 BP 1978
Piper – Flotta 130 30 480 560,000 Occidental 1976
UK onshore crude oil pipelines
From – To Length, miles Diameter Original operator Year constructed Capacity
Finnart – Grangemouth refinery 57

(90 km)[17]

50 cm BP, Ineos from 2005 1951 4.5 million tonnes/year

7 million tons/year[17]

Tranmere oil terminal – Stanlow refinery 9

(24 km)[17]

24 /28 inch Shell 1960 linked six 20,000 tonne tanks at terminal to refinery, operating at 696 psi
Angle Bay Milford Haven – Llandarcy oil refinery 62

(96 km)

46 cm BP 1961 5 million tonnes/year

8 million tons/year[17]

Tranmere oil terminal – Heysham oil refinery 70 30 cm Shell 1966 2 million tons/year.[17] Replaced an 18,000 dwt tanker supply. Decommissioned 1976 (refinery closed)
Tranmere – Eastham 12 inch Shell Operating at 696 psi
Tetney Monobuoy – Tetney marine terminal 3 36 inch Phillips 66 1969
Tetney marine terminal – Humber refinery 15 22 inch Phillips 66 1969
Amlwch/Rhosgoch – Stanlow refinery 79 (127 km) 2 × 36 inch Shell 1974 Decommissioned 1990[18]
Cruden Bay – Kinneil terminal 130 36 inch BP, Ineos from 2017 1975 87,000 m3/day, oil from offshore Forties field and natural gas liquids from St Fergus. Booster pump stations at Netherley, Brechin and Balbeggie

See also

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For details of UK gas pipelines see National Transmission System

References

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  1. ^ a b Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars – PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017. ISBN 9780992855468
  2. ^ A.L.Adams: The Development and Use of the Department of Energy's Oil Pipelines and Storages p8 (Paper 1980).
  3. ^ "Esso Southampton to London Pipeline Project". 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Southampton to London pipeline project". Esso. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. ^ "BPA | British Pipeline Agency Limited". Oil and gas pipeline consultant.
  6. ^ "Parliamentary Debates (Official Report – Unrevised) Dáil Éireann". Oireachtas. 2 June 2005. Retrieved 15 March 2007.
  7. ^ BPA: Annual Report and Accounts 1981 to 1984
  8. ^ Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars – PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 page 140 published 2017. ISBN 9780992855468
  9. ^ "Shell Stanlow Manufacturing Complex".
  10. ^ "UK and Ireland pipelines". Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  11. ^ Whittle, Tim (September 2013). "Pigs, pipelines and PLUTO". Measurement and Control. 46 (7). doi:10.1177/0020294013499112. S2CID 109078213.
  12. ^ Payton-Smith, D. J. (1971). A study of war-time policy and administration. London: HMSO. pp. UK Oil Pipelines map.
  13. ^ Luckas, M.R. (1965). "Recent developments in the United Kingdom oil industry". Geography. 50 (2): 152–160.
  14. ^ "Technical Information | INEOS FPS". www.ineos.com.
  15. ^ Department of Trade and Industry (1994). The Energy Report. London: HMSO. pp. 143–45. ISBN 0-11-515380-2.
  16. ^ A guide to North Sea oil and gas technology. London: Institute of Petroleum. 1977. pp. Chapter 12. ISBN 0-85501-316-8.
  17. ^ a b c d e Manners, Gerald (1968). The Geography of Energy. Hutchinson. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-09-070324-1.
  18. ^ "Anglesey marine terminal". Amlwch History. Retrieved 7 June 2020.

Further reading

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  • Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars – PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017. ISBN 9780992855468
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