Latest
Team manager Andy Miller (l) with driver Mike Simmons with the Ice Bear during their visit to Morris Lubricants
Morris Lubricants has paired up with the world’s most powerful motorsport – tractor pulling. Totally rebuilt last year, the Bear Essential’s Ice bear was originally built in 1996 and is based on a 160hp Valtra tractor with wheel speeds of 90kmh.
Last season Ice Bear, which runs on diesel, was unbeaten in UK competition and finished fourth in the European championships.
Tractor pulling is simple – take one skilfully modified tractor and try to drag an increasingly heavy sledge as far as possible – up to 60 tonnes down a 100m track in 10 seconds!
To get over the line every inch of the tractor must perform to its maximum. The main product used in the Ice Bear is Morris Lubricants Versimax HD3 20W-50 diesel engine oil.
“Morris Lubricants has helped us grow and improve as a team to compete at the very top level of the Prostock class in UK and European competition,” said team manager Andy Miller.
“It’s incredible to see the sheer power of the tractor, a real achievement of human endeavour,” said Andrew Goddard, Morris Lubricants managing director.
“This is another example of how well our products perform in the agricultural market one of our key sectors, especially when they are put to the ultimate test like this.”
As latest figures show the number of households living in fuel poverty in England and Wales has increased to more than 10%, OFTEC is reigniting its calls on government to develop a heating strategy that is fair for all and will help those most in need.
Fuel poverty data released by the Office of National Statistics earlier this year shows that 2.38 million homes are currently classed as ‘fuel poor’, representing a 1.4% increase on previous figures. The statistics also underline that fuel poverty is more prevalent in rural areas where properties are typically older, poorly insulated and therefore harder to heat.
Additional figures confirmed earlier this month reveal that during winter 2014/15, there were 43,850 excess winter deaths (EWD) in England and Wales – the highest level seen in over 15 years. An important factor in these deaths each year is the high number of vulnerable people living in homes they can’t afford to adequately heat.
Although provisional EWD figures for last winter (2015/16) show a fall to 24,300 recorded deaths, this drop is largely due to the abnormal spike in deaths seen during 2014/15 which has been attributed to an ineffective flu vaccine. If this anomaly is removed, the estimated number of EWDs in 2015/16 is still 39% higher than 2013/14.
“Fuel poverty levels are higher in rural parts of the country – approximately 14% compared to around 10% in urban areas – even though the 1.4 million oil using households in the UK are enjoying by far the cheapest heating bills of all the major fuels,” said OFTEC CEO Paul Rose
“At present, the main energy efficiency scheme open to low income households is the ECO initiative but this is due to finish in April 2017. Meanwhile, the only option for rural, off-grid households that don’t qualify for ECO is the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). However, the focus of the RHI is firmly on carbon reduction by encouraging the take up of 100% renewable heating technologies such as heat pumps, rather than energy efficiency.
“The UK desperately needs a new heating strategy which combines energy efficiency measures with carbon reduction. Also, one that is affordable and practical for the majority of consumers otherwise take up will always be limited.
“Low oil prices make now the perfect time to invest in a modern boiler to secure long term savings. We would also like to see more support to better insulate rural homes to stop them ‘leaking’ heat.
“In the longer term, industry is also assessing the viability of producing a bio-oil which will deliver substantial carbon savings for households currently on oil. Greening the fuel is a credible solution for the future which government needs to recognise in the UK’s heat policy going forward.”
INEOS, which is importing shale gas from the USA, is currently progressing with surveys to evaluate the geology and gas potential of its sites across England. It is also planning the next stages of its extensive community consultation programme
Last week INEOS welcomed the decision of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that claims made by the Friends of the Earth (FOE) misled the public. The ruling comes after an exhaustive 14-month investigation found that FOE could not substantiate a number of scare stories.
“The false claims have formed the heart of the FOE’s wrongheaded opposition to fracking and we’re pleased to see the record corrected,” said Tom Pickering, INEOS shale operations director.
“INEOS is always happy to debate on the facts and answer any questions and concerns that members of the public or groups may have. However, as this ruling has made clear Friends of the Earth have been spreading false information and misleading the public about this important issue.
The ASA found that Friends of the Earth was unable to support claims that chemicals used in fracking were dangerous to humans and that a US fracking site caused an increase in asthma and that the public in Britain would be a similar risk if they lived near to a fracking site. FOE adverts that also claimed falling house prices and risks of cancer were as a result of fracking would also not be allowed to be run again.
“We have previously offered to meet with Friends of the Earth, and also Friends of the Earth Scotland, to have a grown-up science based discussion of the issues around shale gas extraction but unsurprisingly neither organisation wishes to engage with us,” added Tom.
“We will continue, however, to try to make this meeting happen as our energy and manufacturing sectors are too important to allow fake facts to influence the debate. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with all parties based on the true realities of shale gas.” www.ineos.com Also commenting on the ASA’s findings, Ken Cronin, chief executive of UKOOG, said:
“This is an important ruling by the authority, which consulted with numerous independent scientific, health and regulatory experts before concluding that the anti-fracking myths perpetrated by Friends of the Earth were fundamentally false.
“The opponents of onshore oil and gas development must withdraw their scaremongering rhetoric and argue on the basis of the facts, which quite clearly show that the risks associated with fracking can be mitigated by the strong regulation and world renowned best practice that we benefit from in the UK.” www.ukoog.org.uk
“This new facility will provide a convenient refuelling station for the haulage community when using our new Liverpool2 Container Terminal or any of our port facilities,” said Andrew Martin, group land and property director for Peel Ports Group
Once a disused piece of land, a new state-of-the-art facility providing diesel, gas oil and AdBlue® will open on Thursday in the Port of Liverpool, allowing up to 8 HGVs to refuel simultaneously.
“We’re delighted that our schedule of works has gone to plan and it is great to see the new site nearing completion,” said Andrew Goodwin, national bunker manager for Certas Energy.
“This is a major milestone for us in our strategy to develop a national network of refuelling locations. We’re looking forward to welcoming port users to this flagship facility and offering customers a convenient way to refuel whilst they’re within the port.
“We’re pleased with the partnership that we’ve built with Peel Ports Group and look forward to this continuing in the future”.
Maritime Transport, which will be using the refuelling site, stated:
“The site is just a few minutes’ drive from our Liverpool depot. This means that our drivers can fill up easily and not have to worry about filling up whilst enroute to their next job. The fact that fuel is pumped at 120 litres per minute means our drivers will be able to fill up in around three minutes.”www.certasenergy.co.ukwww.peelports.com
Martyn Lyons who will ‘continue to actively participate in the TSA and to reap the many benefits of membership’
At the end of 2016 Martyn Lyonsstepped down from the chairmanship of the UK Tank Storage Association (TSA)
On 1st January 2017 Andrew Amos, projects director for UM group, took over as president with Paul Denmead, director of UK terminal operations at World Fuel Services, becoming vice-president.
Martyn Lyons, who will remain on the TSA Executive Council, said:
“The past 11 years have seen considerable growth in the membership of the TSA with more than 20 full member companies actively participating in our association which can be proud of its abilities as the ‘go-to’ organisation. TSA has long held a reputation to punch above its weight and this was cemented by the considerable efforts and successes of our previous executive director, Hugh Bray.
“After a very enjoyable 11 years as TSA chairman, it’s time for me to hand over the reins to a new president, Andrew Amos who along with executive director Peter Davidson and vice president Paul Denmead are set for a year of growth.”www.tankstorage.org.uk
‘Rontec is delighted to have extended its relationship with Hoyer which now delivers fuel to all Rontec service stations throughout the UK,’ says Tom Cookson, Rontec’s director of fuels
HOYER Petrolog has extended its agreement with Rontec to supply circa 200 of the company’s forecourts across the UK through to September 2021.
“Rontec has been a major customer of HOYER Petrolog since 2012 and this new contract is a sign of the strong long-standing relationship between our two companies,” said Allan Davison, operations director for Hoyer Petrolog UK.
As well as the existing contract term being extended, Rontec has added 18 additional sites to its network in the Midlands and North West which will require the HOYER Petrolog fleet to collect fuel from the Valero terminals in Kingsbury and Manchester. These additional sites will be the first Texaco-branded forecourts Hoyer has supplied in the UK.
Allan Davison added: “This growth is fantastic for the Petrolog fleet and continues to show that improving our flexibility and agility in a changing market place helps us to secure long-term business and ensure job security for all of our employees.”www.hoyer.uk.com
Aidan Flynn, FTA Ireland’s new general manager, who has held a number of senior leadership positions within the transport and logistics sector in Ireland
Aidan Flynn, who was previously business services manager, took up the post last week and is looking forward to launching exciting new projects in 2017.
“I am honoured and extremely proud to be chosen to lead the FTA Ireland team,” said Aidan.
“I’ve worked with FTAI since the formative years of the Association in Ireland and together we’ve established a viable trade association in the midst of the worst economic recession in our country’s recent history, and have done so by promoting safety and compliance requirements to fleet operators.
“One of my key strengths is relationship building and I thrive on working with the members, promoting our services and listening to their issues. I am committed to ensuring that all of us at FTAI work tirelessly to meet our vision to be the most admired and influential membership trade association in Ireland and the undisputed voice of the supply chain with the public and government.
“FTA Ireland will continue to focus on promoting compliance, working with all stakeholders in a progressive and professional manner and continuously encouraging our members to push for higher safety and operational standards.”www.ftai.ie
At a meeting in September, the Fuel Experts Association together with the Fuel Industry Working Group met with HSE’s head of manufacturing, transport and utilities unit to give a presentation on the potential unacceptable cost to UK industry due to the reclassification of diesel. Last month HSE clarified the application of HSG 176.
A staggering £2,099,518 worth of fuel was recorded as stolen across the UK in 2015. The data, obtained by Certas Energy under the Freedom of Information Act*, reveals that
19,755 commercial fuel thefts were recorded across the year, compared to 9,429 recorded domestic fuel thefts.
The total recorded value for commercial fuel theft, including reported thefts from petrol stations, was £1,469,354.13.
Greater Manchester had the highest number of commercial fuel thefts, with a total of 3,804 reported in 2015. South Yorkshire was the second highest, with 2,382 recorded crimes and Hertfordshire took third place with 1,705.
As well as being the second highest for commercial fuel theft, South Yorkshire was the area with the most domestic fuel theft, with 2,368 recorded thefts. Dyfed-Powys police had the second highest rate of domestic theft, with 1,683 recorded instances. South Wales was the third highest, with 1,207 recorded thefts. The total recorded value for domestic fuel theft was £630,163.93.
Fuel theft hotspots by recorded instances
Anton Martiniussen (r), the new APEA chairman with Killian Tallon, APEA’s outgoing chairman, now referred to as immediate past chairman
Anton Martiniussen of Elaflex has been appointed as APEA chairman at the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration’s AGM, exhibition, conference and gala awards dinner held recently in Milton Keynes.
A UK-based organisation, the APEA draws its membership from all quarters of the petroleum industry, including regulators from national and local government authorities, oil companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, service and installation organisations, training establishments and many others.
It is seen to be unique in representing all sides of the industry and in providing a forum for debate and the generation of technical guidance.
“We aim to facilitate the interchange of information, ideas and good practices with safety first and technical excellence,” explained Anton.
“If you would like to share something with us, please contact us. Reaching out we would very much like to hear more of what goes on in your market and how we can link up.”www.apea.org.uk
BP’s Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland
Turner & Townsend has won a contract to provide quantity surveying and cost management services at Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland and the Forties Pipeline System.
The global professional services consultancy firm will support all activities including projects and turnarounds for BP at a number of onshore locations.
BP is one of Turner & Townsend’s largest global clients across the natural resources, infrastructure and real estate sectors. Turner & Townsend provides programme management, project controls, contract services, quantity surveying and consulting in all segments of BP’s business (upstream, midstream, downstream and real estate) around the world.
“We’re delighted once again to be working so closely with BP on a series of significant projects that are of strategic importance to North Sea oil and gas,” said director Miles Cameron.
“Being awarded this contract is a great opportunity to further show our experience and expertise in optimising performance and cost management. It’s early days, but mobilisation and integration have been successful and we look forward to building on such a solid start.”
Notable current and recent BP assignments for Turner & Townsend include various projects on the North Slope (Alaska), BP’s pipelines and logistics programme (USA), Quad 204 and Clair Ridge (UK), Khazzan (Oman), the Tangguh Expansion Project (Indonesia) and the terminals upgrade programme (Mozambique).
Aberdeen City Council and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) a European-wide organisation are to boost the city’s hydrogen profile after signing a high level MoU agreement to ensure better working relationships for hydrogen fuel cells between regions and industry.
The FCH JU’s mission is to accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to help decarbonise the transport sector by accelerating the adoption of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies.
Aberdeen is a leader in hydrogen technologies through schemes such as the Hydrogen Bus Project.
“It is essential that the City Council – and Aberdeen – keeps up to date with current hydrogen and greener energy strategies, locally, nationally and transnationally and also looks forward to ensuring that Aberdeen is at the forefront on delivering within the strategies – Aberdeen holds the presidency of HyER, the hydrogen organisation for the European regions,” said councillor Barney Crocket.
Meanwhile Shell has announced that it will open the first hydrogen refuelling station at a Shell branded site in early 2017.
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/
Enter before 18th December 2016 for your chance to win an iPad mini before Christmas.
To play the game, which was launched on 1st December by Phillips 66 and JET, visit www.winwithjet.co.uk/ where you simply have to run further than 750m with Santa then enter your details to be in with a chance!
When you get over 750m Phillips 66 and JET will donate £1 per day to Children with Cancer UK – just tick the box and they will do the rest.
Enter before 18th December 2016 for your chance to win.T&Cs apply http://bit.ly/2fJl0vG. Over 18s only. Valid 1st – 18th Dec 2016.
Retail and wholesale customers of Phillips 66 joined the company for the 2016 Customer Conference. With a theme of 20/20 vision: growing together, the two-day event was held at the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry on Ireland’s east coast.
The conference incorporated a mixture of business content, from specialist presentations and open forums, to business to business networking and a mini expo where a number of Phillips 66’ key suppliers and industry partners were on hand to share advice, offer demonstrations, and highlight new products and services available to Phillips 66’ customers.
All retail customers were given a copy of the company’s new ‘Guide to JET’s Retail Services’ brochure, which pulls together the company’s range of retail support services and partner offers available to JET dealers.
The event also offered customers a range of social activities, including informal networking opportunities, dining options including a celebratory dinner where the 2016 Proud to be Jet award winners were announced, and a range of outdoor pursuits including golf, fishing, falconry, and off-roading.
“Our conference was an ideal opportunity for us to share JET and Phillips 66’ vision for the future and highlight our investment and growth plans across our retail and wholesale businesses,” commented Mary Wolf, managing director of UK marketing.
“We were able to demonstrate to our customers our continued commitment to building an organisation that is better aligned with the market and gives added focus to pricing and demand management.
“We also used the event as an opportunity to gain feedback from our customers, offering a number of breakout sessions so that our guests could choose what they wanted to hear about and discuss. Some of these sessions were open discussions where customers were encouraged to share their thoughts on any matters that they felt were important to their business. These were very well attended, with lots of customer participation and valuable feedback.”
As well as welcoming customers from across its UK network, Phillips 66 also invited industry experts Brian Madderson of the Petrol Retailers Association and Mark Askew of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers to deliver presentations at the conference. Also attending the event were Merril Boulton, editor of Forecourt Trader magazine, Brian Mandell, president, marketing at Phillips 66 and Nicolas Hamilton, JET’s brand ambassador, who delivered a speech about his personal journey to achieve his dreams and how he overcame many obstacles along the way.
“We’re delighted that our customer conference was such a success and plans are already underway for our next event,” added Mary Wolf.
www.phillips66.co.uk