Petroleum refining in the United Kingdom produced around 61 million tonnes of petroleum products in 2015, down 19% from 2011.[1] There are six major and one minor petroleum refinery in the downstream sector of the UK oil industry.[2]
Small-scale oil refining began in the United Kingdom in 1914.[12] Refining capacity increased during the inter-war period. By 1938 there were 11 oil refineries in the UK.[12][13]
Company | Plant | Year completed | Capacity in 1937/8, tonnes per year |
---|---|---|---|
Esso Petroleum Co Ltd | Fawley, Hampshire | 1921 | 700,000 |
Shell | Stanlow, Cheshire | 1924 | 750,000 |
Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co/ Shell UK Ltd | Shell Haven, Essex | 1916 | 800,000 |
London and Thames Haven Oil Wharves Ltd | Shell Haven, Essex | 1921 | 400,000 |
Cory Brothers Ltd | Coryton, Essex | 1921 | 250,000 |
Shell UK Ltd | Ardrossan, South Ayrshire | 1928 | 225,000 |
Anglo-Iranian Oil Co | Llandarcy, Neath Port Talbot | 1921 | 360,000 |
Anglo-Iranian Oil Co | Grangemouth, Falkirk | 1924 | 360,000 |
Berry Wiggins & Co Ltd | Kingsnorth, Kent | 1930 | 70,000 |
Burmah Oil Trading Ltd | Ellesmere Port, Cheshire | 1934 | 100,000 |
William Briggs & Sons Ltd | Dundee | 1935 | 35,000 |
In 1937/8 total refining oil capacity in the UK was 4.21 million tonnes per year, by 1954 this had increased to 26.64 million tonnes.[14]
In the post-Second World War period several of the existing refineries were expanded and 3 new major oil refineries were built.[12][13]
Company | Plant | Year completed | Capacity in 1955, tonnes per year |
---|---|---|---|
Shell UK Ltd | Heysham, Lancashire | 1948 | 1,800,000 |
BP Refinery Ltd | Isle of Grain, Kent | 1953 | 4,600,000 |
Vacuum oil Co/Mobil Oil Co Ltd | Coryton, Essex | 1953 | 1,000,000 |
In 1964 the following refineries were operating or being constructed or planned.[15]
Refinery | Acreage | Company | Capacity (1,000 tons) | Terminal location | Tanker size (1,000 dead weight tons) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shell Haven | 1,000 | Shell | 8,900 | Shell Haven, Thames Estuary | 80 |
Coryton | 300 | Mobil | 2,400 | Coryton, Thames Estuary | 53 |
Isle of Gain / BP Kent | 1,300 | BP | 9,500 | Isle of Grain, Medway | 50 |
Kingsnorth | – | Berry Wiggins | 195 | Medway | |
Fawley | 1,000 | Esso | 11,500 | Southampton Water | 100 |
Llandarcy | 900 | BP | 5,500 | Angle Bay | 100 |
Milford Haven | – | Esso | 4,800 | Swansea | 20 |
Stanlow | 2,000 | Shell | 10,400 | Milford Haven | 100 |
Ellesmere Port | 100 | Lobitos | 400 | Stanlow, Manchester Ship Canal | 15 |
Heysham | 124 | Shell | 2,000 | Heysham | 22 |
Ardrossan | 30 | Shell | 180 | Ardrossan | 14 |
Dundee | – | William Briggs | 60 | Dundee | 15 |
Grangemouth | 400 | BP | 3,250 | Finnart, Loch Long
Grangemouth, Forth |
100
16 |
Pumpherston | – | BP | 180 | None | |
New refineries under construction or planned | |||||
North Tees | – | ICI | 146 | Tees | – |
Milford Haven | 924 | Regent | 5,000 | Milford Haven | 100 |
Teesport | 300 | Shell | 4,000 | Tees | 63 |
By 1973 the following refineries were in operation.[13]
Company | Plant | Year completed | Capacity in 1973, thousand tonnes per year |
---|---|---|---|
Esso Petroleum Co Ltd | Fawley refinery, Hampshire | 1921 | 19,500 |
Esso Petroleum Co Ltd | Milford Haven refinery, Pembrokeshire | 1960 | 6,300 |
Shell UK Ltd | Stanlow refinery, Cheshire | 1924 | 10,750 |
Shell UK Ltd | Shell Haven refinery, Essex | 1916 | 10,000 |
Shell UK Ltd | Teesport refinery, Teesside | 1968 | 6,000 |
Shell UK Ltd | Heysham refinery, Lancashire | 1948 | 2,200 |
Shell UK Ltd | Ardrossan refinery, South Ayrshire | 1928 | 200 |
BP Refinery Ltd | Isle of Grain refinery, Kent | 1953 | 10,900 |
BP Refinery Ltd | Llandarcy refinery, Neath Port Talbot | 1921 | 8,300 |
BP Refinery Ltd | Grangemouth refinery, Falkirk | 1924 | 8,800 |
BP Refinery Ltd | Belfast refinery | 1964 | 1,500 |
Mobil Oil Co Ltd | Coryton refinery, Essex | 1953 | 7,000 |
Lindsey Oil Refinery Ltd | Killingholme, North Lincolnshire | 1969 | 8,400 |
Texaco Refining Co Ltd | Pembroke refinery, Pembrokeshire | 1964 | 7,000 |
Phillips-Imperial Petroleum Ltd | Billingham refinery, Teesside | 1963 | 5,000 |
Amoco | Milford Haven refinery, Pembrokeshire | 1973 | 4,000 |
Conoco Ltd | South Killingholme refinery, Lincolnshire | 1969 | 4,000 |
Gulf Oil Refining Ltd | Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire | 1968 | 5,000 |
Philmac Oils Ltd | Eastham refinery, Cheshire | 1966 | 400 |
Berry Wiggins & Co Ltd | Kingsnorth refinery, Kent | 1930 | 285 |
Burmah Oil Trading Ltd | Ellesmere Port refinery, Cheshire | 1934 | 1,500 |
William Briggs & Sons Ltd | Dundee refinery | 1935 | 85 |
Carless | Harwich refinery, Essex | 1964 |
In 1973, with an anticipated increase in consumption and the projected start of oil production from the UK North Sea, the following new refineries were being planned or constructed.[13]
Company | Plant | Capacity, thousand tonnes per year | Planned completion |
---|---|---|---|
ENI/Murco | Canvey Island, Essex[16] | 4,000 | 1977 |
Occidental | Canvey Island, Essex[16] | 6,000 | Mid 1975 |
Burmah-Total | Cliffe, Kent | 12,000 | No date |
Chevron | Hunterston, Scotland | 7,000 | No date |
ORSI | Hunterston, Scotland | 24,000 | No date |
Berry Wiggins | Kingsnorth, Kent | 5,000 | 1978 |
Amoco | Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire | 4,000 | Late 1973 |
National Bulk Carriers | Nigg Bay, Cromarty Firth | Not known | No date |
Milford Argosy | Shetland Islands | 15,000 | No date |
Following the oil crisis of 1973-4 refining capacity, and the number of oil refineries, was reduced, and many planned refineries were discontinued. In 1976 there were 17 oil refineries in the UK.[17] By 2000 there were 12 refineries namely:[17]
Further oil company re-organisations and take-overs, and reductions in demand, led to further refinery closures. By 2019 there were 6 major and one smaller oil refineries in the UK.
See also: Category:Petroleum organizations |
Statistics for petroleum refining in the UK are gathered by the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA), on Chancery Lane in London, and the recently formed (July 2016) Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The Institute of Petroleum merged with the Institute of Energy to form the Energy Institute in 2003.[18] The modern-day institute is headquartered in Marylebone, London. Also nearby is the World Petroleum Council (WPC), known for its four-yearly World Petroleum Congresses.