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Major upgrade for Welsh distributor

HW Humphrey and Son reports that the EA Projects upgrade has given the company ‘many advantages’ EA Projects, which will be exhibiting at next month’s FPS EXPO, has installed new tanker loading and tank gauging systems for Porthmadog-based distributor HW Humphrey and Son. “The installation of the EA Projects TAS has given us many advantages that we didn’t have before,” said Arwel Evans. “This includes the automatic recording of all meter movements at the site including all our bunker sales. Being able to have all this information in one central system is a huge benefit for us and we’re very pleased with the system.” The project included a major overhaul of the tank gauging systems on the site which has two separate tank farms. EAP supplied and installed new Hectronic Optilevel gauges to monitor product level, temperature and water level across 14 tanks which are achieving measurement accuracy of +/- 1mm . An integrated bunkering system for refuelling the Humphreys fleet was also supplied which allows the distributor to reconcile all meter movements against physical stock levels and also provides detailed reporting on deliveries taken by third parties. Additionally the iSupervisor TAS was supplied to control tanker loading via 4 arm bottom loading skid fitted with Isoil Vega II batch controllers which are being used to load the tankers of Humphries Oils and a third party. These loads are all based on loading plans managed by the system that may be controlled by the iSupervisor web interface either on or off site.www.humphreysoil.co.ukwww.ea-projects.com
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Backing the government’s new fuel poverty strategy for England

“The importance of an energy efficient, well insulated and heated home cannot be underestimated – which is why we’re giving this strategy our full support,” says Mark Askew, FPS chief executive The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers and OFTEC have joined forces to support the government’s newly unveiled fuel poverty plan, the first for 14 years. “We greatly welcome this plan,” said Mark Askew, FPS chief executive. “Especially as it will not only help those living in fuel poverty in gas-heated homes but those who can’t afford to properly heat their off-grid homes too. “The combination of low income together with the highest energy bills means many are struggling to keep their homes warm and are living in fuel poverty. Currently, there are at least 320,000 fuel poor houses in England that are rated below Band E for energy efficiency, which means it costs a lot more to keep these homes warm. “The government’s fuel poverty target is to ensure as many houses as possible achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C by 2030. At this level, it is far more affordable to maintain a warm and comfortable home, which is hugely important for health and wellbeing. “The importance of an energy efficient, well insulated and heated home cannot be underestimated – which is why we’re giving this strategy our full support.”Making the most of a £25 million fund Part of this new initiative is a £25 million fund to support low income off-grid households, which was announced by the Government in the Autumn Statement 2014. The so-called Central Heating Fund has been created to help pay for the installation of a first time central heating system, which would significantly boost the energy efficiency levels of a home. The fund aims to improve the heating efficiency of up to 8,000 off-grid fuel poor homes. “This is good news for those using oil heating systems in their homes, as funding will soon be available if any individuals are finding it difficult to pay their fuel bills,” says Jeremy Hawksley, OFTEC director general. “It is especially good news if there are measures that can be taken, namely installing a first time central heating system or insulating the home, to greatly enhance energy efficiency levels and lower bills in the process.” The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will soon launch a Local Authority competition to decide on how best the funding should be spent and hopes to receive bids that make the most of this initiative in terms of all it can bring to non-gas households. “In addition to this new fund, there is even more good news for those individuals who live in houses that use oil heating but are struggling to pay their bills, as the cost of oil heating is at an all-time low,” adds Mark Askew.www.oilsave.org.uk
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JET secures 58 new sites through 5-year supply deal with MFG

The deal, which sees the addition of 58 sites from the Motor Fuel Group’s purchase of Murco’s retail business, takes the total number of MFG sites supplied by JET to 68. The original ten MFG sites supplied by JET are spread from Southampton in the south to Glasgow in the north, while the additional sites are located throughout Scotland, Humberside, Yorkshire, Midlands and the South East. The bulk of these new sites will be supplied from JET’s supply points at Immingham, Kingsbury and Thames. The new 5-year supply contract commences on 1st April with all sites due to be branded by the end of May 2015. “We’ve made no secret of our plans to expand our network,” said Pete George, managing director of Phillips 66 UK & Ireland Marketing. “We’ve set a target of 400 sites by 2018 – so to win a quarter of MFG’s available sites is a real coup for everyone here at JET. This latest win takes the total number of JET sites to over 350 and with further site wins in the pipeline, it’s a very exciting time for our network. “MFG is without doubt one of the largest and fastest growing independent fuel operators in the UK and as it continues its own expansion plans, we will certainly be delighted to be part of any further growth. The way MFG operates very much complements our approach to business. We hope that this latest win demonstrates that JET is a strong supply partner and is 100% committed to the future of the UK fuel retail market.” MFG fuels director Jim Mulheran added: “Our relationship with JET stretches back to 2011 and since then we’ve established a very positive working partnership. We’ve been consistently impressed with how JET operates and, based on the success of previous contracts and a competitive supply deal, the decision to choose JET as our supplier for these additional sites was an easy one. We’re very much looking forward to working with Pete and everyone at JET over the next five years and beyond.” www.phillips66.co.uk/EN/jetbrand www.motorfuelgroup.com
2 min read

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Connecting with the forecourt industry

Meeting the needs of a busy forecourt at Adler and Allan Next month Adler and Allan will be exhibiting at the Forecourt Show (20th- 22nd April) – the UK’s biggest trade-only event dedicated to the forecourt and fuel market – where the company’s revolutionary ethanol coalescing filter will be on show.
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ASCO secures long-term service contract with BP

ASCO has been awarded a contract by BP Exploration and Production to provide a range of integrated oilfield services to support its UK North Sea operations. The comprehensive contract, which is worth in excess of £100 million, covers a variety of activities including: supply-base operations; warehouse operations; the provision of waste management and local freight forwarding services. The 5-year contract with options will bring all ASCO’s service lines together to provide a strong, cohesive delivery model focused on the provision of value and service excellence. Craig Lennox, CEO – Europe at ASCO said: ‘We are pleased to be building on a client relationship that spans more than 20 years. Maintaining this strong and successful connection with BP is a great achievement and we look forward to safely and efficiently delivering on this key contract.’ Working for many of the worlds’ leading oil and gas companies, ASCO, which is owned by its management and private equity investors, Doughty Hanson, provides provide personnel, training and advisory services in both offshore and onshore markets. www.ascoworld.com
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Emco Wheaton – new online and on show at FPS EXPO


Emco Wheaton will be among the exhibitors at next month’s FPS EXPO in Harrogate Making it simpler for clients to find a distributor of the products they need, was one of the main reasons why Emco Wheaton chose to re-design its global website. Designed to offer a more user-friendly experience, the new site also provides a better showcase for the company’s product range, which includes the TODO range of products. “At Emco Wheaton we’re always looking to grow our global presence and service offerings in line with customer demand and an ever-changing industry,” said Emma Ardley-Batt, global marketing manager. “Brand identity and being able to communicate via websites has never been more critical to a company’s long term success, so it was absolutely vital that the new website is easy to use and looks great. “Thanks to the bright new design and simple layout, all users will find the new site much easier to navigate. Regardless of what they’re searching for, from the latest industry news to careers at Emco Wheaton, visitors can be sure to find it quickly, easily and within just a few clicks of a button.www.emcowheaton.com

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Win an iPad mini 2 with Mabanaft at FPS EXPO 2015


Will you win an iPad mini 2 by guessing the ex-rack price onMabaLIVE for kerosene at Grays at a pre-specified time? Guess the ex-rack price on MabaLIVE for kerosene at Grays* for your chance to win an iPad mini 2. Following the success of its Guess the Price competition last year Mabanaft is planning to run a similar event at FPS EXPO 2015 – and this year the company will give away two fabulous silver iPad mini 2s. Participants simply have to guess what they think the ex-rack price will be on MabaLIVE for kerosene at Grays* at a pre-specified time (to be confirmed on the day). The person to guess the correct price (or closest to the correct price) will win. The competition runs throughout the exhibition (Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd April) and a winner will be drawn on both days. * 30 day payment term ex-rack price for kerosene at Grays. Terms and conditions apply. At FPS this year Mabanaft will be promoting its fully responsive online price information and fuel ordering service MabaLIVE for mobile. The system now works seamlessly across desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones allowing customers to view live pricing and place an order even when they are away from their office. Mabanaft’s marketing manager Martin Cook said: “Precision of pricing, plus the option to execute orders on a live basis allows clients to optimise market movements which can be highly beneficial for their business. For many customers being able to do this when away from their office is an enormous benefit”. To take part in the competition visit Mabanaft on stand B48/49 where a member of the team will take your entry and give you a FREE power bank charger as a thank you for taking part. On both days the competition will close at 2.00pm and the winner will be drawn and awarded at 3.00pm followed by a champagne toast. For information on MabaLIVE please call our marketing team on 0207 802 3300, email sales@mabanaft.co.uk or visit www.mabalive.co.uk.
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Valero gains 78 MFG forecourts

“This is a fantastic win for us and reflects our strategy to substantially increase the number of Valero-supplied customers throughout the UK and Ireland,” says Eric Fisher, president – Europe Valero has reached an agreement to supply 78 forecourts which MFG purchased from Murco last year. Fuel supply begins at the end of March and all sites should be Texaco-branded by mid-July.VALERO – STILL A POSITIVE STORY – SEE THE APRIL 2015 ISSUE OF FUEL OIL NEWS Valero has gained 140 new sites in the past two years; with the addition of MFG’s 78 sites, Valero will supply over 850 Texaco-branded service stations in England and Wales. “This is a fantastic win for us and reflects our strategy to substantially increase the number of Valero-supplied customers throughout the UK and Ireland,” said Eric Fisher, president – Europe. “Once again the benefits from our improvements to our supply infrastructure mean we’re able to deliver a very competitive package for retailers.” Texaco retailers benefit from a secure and reliable fuel supply from Valero’s refinery network. Security of supply is just one of many benefits of signing up to the Texaco brand, including next day fuel deliveries seven days a week, Texaco quality fuels with Supreme grades, an award winning forecourt image, and the opportunity to drive volume with Valero’s high earning Star Rewards loyalty scheme.www.valero.com
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MFG extends its fuel brand portfolio

Following acquisition of the retail assets of Murco Petroleum last October, the Motor Fuel Group (MFG) is replacing the Murco brand on its company station estate. From 1 April 2015, BP fuel supply will commence at 136 stations (previously 49), JET supply at 68 stations (previously 10) and Texaco supply at 78 stations. Station rebranding programmes will commence immediately and are expected to be complete by the end of Q2 this year. “Following exhaustive and detailed negotiations we’re delighted to have these three strong fuel brands throughout the MFG company station network,” said MFG fuels director Jim Mulheran. “Together they give us supply, price and image flexibility which means that we can maximise the offer to motorists in each and every location that we operate.” The Murco brand “This deal doesn’t mean that the Murco brand will disappear,” said MFG managing director, Jeremy Clarke, who with his dealer team headed by Paul Almond, now “have the opportunity to put more emphasis and time on Murco as an exclusive dealer brand.” “We’re giving our dealer business exclusivity to the Murco brand and along with this will be actively looking to grow the Murco network with a package which combines flexible delivery arrangements and a new, positive method of offering our dealers some very attractive trading terms. “We can tailor our fuel supply arrangements to meet the individual needs of a customer, contribute towards forecourt or shop development projects and strongly believe that we can match, if not beat, any supply arrangements offered in the marketplace today.” www.motorfuelgroup.com
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More diesel laundering sites discovered

Two men from Great Yarmouth were arrested last week after HMRC dismantled a diesel laundering plant, capable of evading over £1.3 million in duty and taxes a year. Storage tanks, equipment, 1,500 litres of suspected laundered fuel and 4,000 litres of red diesel were seized during the operation. The men aged 40 and 30 have been released on bail and investigations are continuing. In Northern Ireland a 43-year-old man was also arrested at private premises in the Ardboe area where a laundering plant capable of producing over one million litres of illicit fuel a year, evading over £700,000 in lost duty and taxes was uncovered in a shed. A transit van and nearly four tonnes of toxic waste – the by-product of the laundering process – were removed from the site. Each year £480 million is lost to fuel fraud in the UK – anyone with information about this type of activity should contact HMRC on the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000.
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