Moving the load was a complex technical operation – it took six hours to transport the head from Ellesmere Port docks to the refinery four miles away Vital to Stanlow’s annual production of three billion litres of petrol, Essar Oil (UK) recently took delivery of a 450 tonne steel regenerator head for its residue catalytic cracking unit. Its delivery is part of a planned £23million refurbishment project for the unit, which is the largest of its kind in Europe. The unit is being prepared for a major refurbishment later this year, of which the replacement of the giant head is a key element. It will give the refinery unit another 25 years of life. Volker Schultz, chief executive officer, said: “The project represents a significant multi-million pound investment and is further proof of our determination to ensure Essar Oil UK is sustainably profitable and growing moving forward. “The Stanlow refinery – the UK’s second largest refinery producing 15% of the UK’s transport fuels – is a major economic driver in the north west and this is a clear demonstration of our confidence in its future growth.”www.essar.com

Since the incident at Buncefield in December 2005 changes have been made in the regulatory approach to fire precautions at such installations. The EI Model Code of Safe Practice Part 19: Fire precautions at petroleum refineries and bulk storage installations provides updated guidance The Energy Institute (EI) has updated its guidance on fire precautions measures to reduce the risk from fires at installations that process and store crude oil, petroleum, intermediates and refined products The updated EI Model Code of Safe Practice Part 19: Fire precautions at petroleum refineries and bulk storage installations covers prevention through to detection, protection systems and mitigation measures and looks at selecting, implementing and monitoring the continuing performance of installation-specific justified risk reduction measures. It supersedes the second edition which was being finalised at the time of the Buncefield bulk storage installation major accident in December 2005.  Since then there have been changes in the regulatory approach to fire precautions at such installations, encompassing fire prevention measures, incident detection techniques, fire-fighting and response and emergency planning requirements.  Among others, there have also been major changes in Part 19 to:Enhance guidance on consideration of environmental impacts of fire-fighting and the need for environmental risk assessment Provide guidance on fire response for ethanol and related polar substance handling/storage.Include guidance on potential scenarios, the role of congestion, incident consequences and examples of substances with a propensity to form large flammable vapour clouds.Clarify basis for determining whether scenarios are credible by referencing their likelihood to risk   tolerability criteria.Provide guidance on passive fire protection (PFP) maintenance, fire water systems and detection systems.Provide guidance on vulnerability and siting of critical equipment and resources. The guidance in this publication should assist process safety engineers/advisors, designers, emergency planners or others with responsibility for fire and explosion hazard management to meet the requirements of the European Seveso II Directive.The EI Model Code of Safe Practice Part 19: Fire precautions at petroleum refineries and bulk storage installations can be ordered at www.energypublishing.orgISBN: 978 0 85293 634 4Price: £165.00

“Failure to install a storage tank correctly can cause irreparable damage and significantly reduce operational life,” says Carbery’s John Switzer An all Ireland oil tank survey has revealed that 78% of installations completed in the last 10 years were non-compliant with at least one OFTEC tank installation requirement. The Carbery Plastics survey analysed compliance with OFTEC storage tank installation requirements at 150 domestic heating oil storage installations across Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, environmental protection was the biggest issue with 72% of surveyed tanks incorrectly specified as single skin tanks at installations where a bunded tank was required. In Northern Ireland, fire protection was the biggest issue, with 60% of tanks non-compliant with fire safety requirements. Carbery’s John Switzer said: “When installed in accordance with OFTEC requirements, modern plastic oil tanks can provide many years of reliable, dependable service. However failure to install a storage tank correctly can cause irreparable damage and significantly reduce operational life. Non-compliance with installation instructions and statutory requirements means that some technicians are exposing themselves and their customers to unwelcome and wholly unnecessary risk and liability.”www.carberyplastics.com 

Is the present obligation on suppliers to hold stocks the most efficient model or would a centralised stocking agency be more appropriate? Your views are sought by 7th June. “We are launching this consultation to ensure our oil stocking system continues to follow best practice, remains fit for purpose and provides the foundation to a vibrant UK oil industry,” said energy and climate change secretary, Edward Davey. At UKPIA, director general Chris Hunt welcomed the government’s consultation: “We would support the establishment of an independent stockholding agency to manage the Compulsory Stock Obligation (CSO) going forward. We welcome DECC’s commitment to examine the case for this approach, and look forward to responding to this key consultation.” The Downstream Fuel Association also supports the consultation and DECC’s consideration of a centralised stocking agency, in particular. Chief executive Teresa Sayers said: “This is a unique opportunity to ensure the UK finds the most cost effective way to comply with its international oil stocking obligations.” Have your say in the consultation by clicking here. Responses are requested no later than 7 June 2013 and should be emailed to deccdownstreamoilteam@decc.gsi.gov.uk or, if in hard copy, to David Rolfe Department for Energy and Climate Change (Area 3E), 3 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2AW. Official published figures in Energy Trends March 2013 showed the UK had stocks equal to around 84 days of average consumption are available by clicking here.  

The removal of proposals for a much reduced NOx emission level and a penalty on non-modulating domestic oil-fired boilers are ‘extremely positive for our industry’ says Jeremy Hawksley When the European Commission published the draft Energy-related Products Directive six years ago, the future of the oil-fired heating sector looked bleak.  Following a long campaign OFTEC has won a ‘significant victory’. The proposed directive would have required NOx emissions levels from boilers of well below 100 milligrams per kilowatt hour. Had these limits been accepted it would have destroyed the UK and Irish oil heating industry overnight because it would have been impossible to reduce boiler emissions to the proposed levels. However, after extensive lobbying by OFTEC and its European industry partner Eurofuel, the recently published directive has set the maximum NOx emission limit at 120 milligrams per kilowatt hours for oil boilers – a figure manufacturers believe is achievable, and are happy to work towards. Commenting on the news, OFTEC director general Jeremy Hawksley said: “We’ve worked tirelessly with our industry partners in Europe to secure this realistic figure for NOx emissions, which is extremely positive for our industry. The new standard for oil boilers has been deferred until 2018 instead of 2016 as previously proposed, which will give manufacturers the necessary lead time to implement any product changes. “The proposed penalty for non-modulating domestic oil-fired boilers has also been removed, which was also a significant threat to the oil industry. These positive outcomes are a direct result of the important work that OFTEC does in lobbying for the oil fired sector both at UK and European level. Without this action it probably would have been unfeasible to manufacture an oil fired boiler after 2015/16.”     www.oftec.org

Officially launching the new filling station – CNG Services John Baldwin and Edward Timpson, MP for Crewe and Nantwich The UK’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station opened recently in Crewe. Local MP Edward Timpson officially opened the event, which attracted interest from companies across the UK.A range of cars, light commercial vehicles, buses and trucks which can run on CNG are already on the market but as yet there has been little interest from the fuel tanker market.The filling station is the largest such facility in the UK, offering a reliable fuel supply with capacity to fill 500 HGVs a day via three fast-fill hoses. The unmanned station will be used initially by commercial vehicles, providing transport and logistics operators in the area with a chance to incorporate CNG vehicles into their fleets.John Gavin, managing director of CNG Services, which will operate the station said: “The interest in CNG is being driven by the huge cost savings it offers – between 30 and 40% in comparison to diesel – and also because it is much cleaner. There are very significant savings of CO2, NOx and particulates from biomethane compared to diesel. It’s an excellent fuel as it performs well with low emissions and almost no carbon residuals.” www.cngservices.co.uk

Operations manager, Helen Lewis believes loadsfortanker.com is a fantastic way for hauliers to create new opportunities Lateu Logistics is to launch a new service.  Loadsfortankers.com is a free to register web based portal, marrying hauliers and load placers. Operations manager, Helen Lewis, explains: “There are so many sites out there that provide a similar service for the likes of palletised loads and do it well. But tanker loads can be a bit trickier to find. “Loadsfortankers.com is aimed at those that move any product in a tanker. It’s a fantastic way to create opportunities for small, medium and large hauliers seeking new work or looking for backloads, and to ensure that the load placer gets a fair quote for the transportation of their product.” The service provides a cost effective way to move loads without the hassle of dealing with multiple companies. Charlie McLoughlin joins as commercial manager, bringing 20 years experience in the tanker business.  “With so many companies under economic pressure, this is a great tool you can access from your desk to find work and grow your business,” he adds. “It’s a low cost, pay as you go service based on a flat payment, not a percentage of the quote. This way we ensure that those who use our service know exactly what the pricing will be upfront.”www.loadsfortankers.com

Director of Reynolds Training Services, John Reynolds (middle) Reynolds Training Services (RTS) has been awarded a contract to produce training material for the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI). The Lincolnshire-based health and safety specialist will develop six modules for the SkillsAcademy’s new process safety management for operations (PSMO) course. The course will also be supported by a train the trainer package that will provide the skills and resources for an employer’s own training personnel to deliver the PSMO in house. “This gives us the chance to impart our knowledge and skills to a wider audience,” said director, John Reynolds. The SkillsAcademy has worked with the Process Safety Management project board, since 2011 to develop three process safety courses which comprehensively cover all rungs of the workforce ladder.

l-r From Corrib Oil in Co Galway – Tom Connolly, Gerry Mullen, Matt Stratford, Eamonn Dalton, with Neil Stewart, Stewart Oils, Co Roscommon 70% of distributors who completed the feedback forms at the Distributor Debate in Templepatrick earlier this month, rated too much competition and poor margins as their biggest concerns. Poor image, supply, prices, variable fuel quality, gas oil changes, legislation and the future of the oil heating market were lesser concerns to attendees, with no-one expressing worries about sharing information online or the threat from renewable energy. Attendees reported the Distributor Debate to have been a really useful event with some good information provided by the five industry speakers – Mark Askew, Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, Angus Fraser, BP, David Kingsman, Fuelsoft, Julia Mansfield, Fuel Additive Science Technologies and David Blevings, Northern Ireland Oil Federation. “I felt the mix of speakers was interesting,” wrote John Switzer of J Switzer Associates.  “The FAST and BP presentations in particular provided a great insight into the technical and distribution side of the industry, which are both often overlooked.” Paul Hackett, business development manager – Direct for DCC Oil Ireland, who attended the second half said: “The content of the meeting was good although I think the distributors from ROI might have wanted more reference to their issues, etc.   I enjoyed the questions and the interchanges between Donall O’Connor, Sam Chambers and David Blevings.” A report on the Distributor Debate appears in the April issue of Fuel Oil News. ________________________________________________________________Perhaps your concerns about and hopes for the fuel oil distribution industry in Ireland differ……If you’re visiting FPS Expo next month, the Fuel Oil News team hopes you will call at stand C40 to share both your concerns and your hopes about the industry’s future.We also look forward very much to seeing you at future Fuel Oil News events in Ireland.

Pictured at the pay as you go launch in 2012 (l-r) Charles Burns, commercial director Kingspan Environmental; David Blevings, OFTEC’s Ireland manager; Nelson McCausland; Philip Browne, brand director, Kingspan Environmental; and Jillian Ferris, client and stakeholder director of Carillion Energy Services Designed to reduce heating bills for struggling families, an initiative by the  Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland has been shelved following the failure of its pilot scheme, according to an Irishnews.com report  Rolled out in February 2012, the scheme – partnered by Kingspan Renewables and Carillion Energy – involved the installation of meters at 17 low income households across three counties in Northern Ireland. Social development minister, Nelson McCausland, pulled plans to continue the scheme saying: “The results of the pilot were disappointing regarding the proportion of participants benefiting from lower oil costs. “There are two crucial issues around the cost and delivery of introducing a pay-as-you-go oil system into the department’s mainstream energy efficiency improvement schemes: (1)   Costs associated with production and administration of the pay-as-you-go oil scheme. (2)   And, who will supply the oil to the customer? Departmental economists have serious concerns about the feasibility of the pay-as-you-go oil scheme from a cost/benefit perspective. “I have considered all of the information available and concluded that it’s not feasible to introduce the scheme into my department’s energy efficiency improvements’ schemes.”

Upgrade your skid with IFC Distributors can now cost effectively convert existing loading skids from old mechanical registers to the latest electronic automated equipment with IFC’s skid upgrade kit which brings terminal loading technology to depot distribution. When IFC originally started building skids for depot loading, electronic batch control was still new to tanker loading and was mainly installed in refineries and terminals. Although it offered many benefits, the costs were prohibitive for smaller distributors and many chose skids with traditional mechanical registers, presets and ticket printers. As the advantages of electronic control and automated depot loading became clearer and costs dropped, IFC started fitting electronic batch control to new skids, mainly for larger distributors with multiple sites.Why upgrade? Although many customers have had mechanical registers for years, there are numerous benefits to upgrading. These include higher levels of security and reliability, operational flexibility, temperature compensation and data storage capacity. Following years of discussion with customers and further developments in electronic batch control, IFC has come up with a conversion kit that allows operators of existing mechanical skids to take advantage of the benefits of electronic loading and control. With a number of options to suit all needs, from individual electronic registers mounted at each meter point, to a central multi-point controller for the whole skid, all variations offer storage of loading data and connection to a separate printer or PC.  www.inflow.co.uk

If you spot a tank in a compromising position, please take a photo on whatever you have to hand and send it to jane@fueloilnews.co.uk Everyone knows that heating oil orders are smaller and more frequent – but, evidence that times are really hard has come from Monument Fuels…. When Trevor Rolph of Monument Fuels spotted this tank, he only had his Blackberry to hand.  “I thought it was such a good example of what some people are trying to do in these tough times that I had to take the shot.  Obviously, it’s not really the thing to do to your tank!” For more comment on the impact of the recession, see the April issue of Fuel Oil News.  Your copy will be with you shortly.