UK oil pipeline network

Stanlow

Shell Haven

Kingsbury

Buncefield

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Oil pipeline network in England

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]

## GPSS[edit]

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 [edit]

United Kingdom legislation

United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Act 1966

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to empower United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Limited to acquire lands; and for other purposes.
Citation| 1966 c. xxix
Dates
Royal assent| 9 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Text of statute as originally enacted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[edit]

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
Stanlow  | Carrington  |  | 4  |  | 652  |  | Propylene
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  |
Wilton  | Grangemouth  |  | 10  |  | 1390  |  | Ethylene, WGEP

## Crude oil pipelines[edit]

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[edit]

For details of UK gas pipelines see National Transmission System

* CLH Pipeline System
* Oil terminals in the United Kingdom
* British Pipeline Agency

## References[edit]

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[edit]

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

* v
* t
* e

Oil storage and distribution in the United Kingdom

Storage|

* Buncefield oil depot
* Coryton Refinery (decommissioned)
* Kingsbury Oil Terminal
* Milford Haven Refinery (decommissioned)
* Sullom Voe Terminal
* Teesside Refinery (decommissioned)
* Stanlow storage: Eastham Oil Terminal
* Tranmere Oil Terminal

Refineries|

* Fawley Refinery
* Grangemouth Refinery
* Humber Refinery
* Lindsey Oil Refinery
* Pembroke Refinery
* Stanlow Refinery

Distribution|

* Exolum Pipeline System
* United Kingdom Oil Pipeline

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