Energy news website OilFiredUp has been ‘refreshed, upgraded and returned to its roots’ by new owners Dunraven Systems.

Energy costs to heat a 3-bed home over 12 months Sutherland Tables, the independent provider of comparative home heating costs, has confirmed that oil has been the cheapest fuel for home heating for the past year.

Porsche is delighted to welcome Esso to its team says Dr. Frank–Steffen Walliser, vice president, Porsche Motorsport and GT Cars Ahead of this month’s iconic 24 hours of Le Mans, EssoTM announced a new sponsorship of Porsche Motorsport.

This year’s Oil Terminal Management event provided the opportunity for delegates to observe the organisation and work of companies that operate some of the most advanced terminals in the Netherlands Over 60 delegates attending the recent Oil Terminal Management – Logistics for Traders in the Netherlands were in agreement that it was ‘an ideal platform for networking and learning more about terminal business development’.

Looking to further strengthen its retail business Certas Energy has partnered with the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) whilst its Gulf and Valvoline lubricants are now being stocked by A1 Motor Stores.

Gracing two Fuel Oil News front covers in June 1979 and February 1989 Angelo Coletta, deport manager at Cotswold Petroleum stands beside the Queen at FPS EXP 2016 As this weekend sees the official celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday, Fuel Oil News adds its best wishes to the proceedings. Marking the Queen’s actual birthday, which occurred on 21st April during FPS EXO 2016 in Liverpool, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) displayed an image of the Queen on its stand. Our thanks go to Angelo Coletta, depot manager at Cotswold Petroleum, who kindly escorted the Queen when this photograph was taken. As a front cover star of Fuel Oil News on two occasions, Fuel Oil News raises a toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning sovereign and an oil heating user!

Essex-based Spillsure Solutions is facing an uncertain future after defying a court judgement in connection with a five-figure debt. Founder and Managing Director Alan Smith now faces the prospect of a formal winding-up petition after a string of deadlines passed without payment. Spillsure Solutions currently monitors nearly 3,000 oil tanks through its award-winning Check-my-tank platform that launched in August, 2012 to connect oil suppliers with consumers. But the firm is heading towards a legal battle to stay afloat as it tackles a rising debt mountain. Specialist recruitment company Oil Recruitment obtained a County Court Judgment for £15,000 after Spillsure failed to pay the professional fees for the placement of two employees. Despite a number of subsequent promises to clear the outstanding amount, a single initial payment of £5,000 was paid but further agreements were not honoured and requests were ignored. Now the directors at Oil Recruitment are to decide whether to press ahead and petition the courts to order Spillsure into compulsory liquidation and sell its assets to pay off the company’s creditor list. When contacted by Fuel Oil News, Smith said his company would make no comment on the issue. Smith, who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, promised to pay off the debt once the company’s invoices were paid. However, no payment was made.

With average annual heating costs for oil users falling every quarter for the last three years, consumer confidence in oil heating has greatly increased. This is reflected by rising boiler sales which, for January to April this year, stands at the highest level since 2007 New industry figures show that despite a slow increase in heating oil prices since the start of 2016, the average annual cost of heating a home on oil has fallen again.

Earlier this week Argus, the global energy and commodity price reporting agency, announced that a definitive agreement had been signed with General Atlantic. The agreement gives General Atlantic a majority stake in the business whilst enabling Argus to fuel its next phase of global expansion. Argus was founded by Jan Nasmyth in 1970 as a weekly newsletter covering the Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp petroleum products market. Jan remained actively involved in the business as chairman until he died in 2008 at the age of 90. Argus executive chairman and publisher Adrian Binks, who has led the company for more than 30 years, will continue in the business and retain the majority of his significant shareholding in the new structure alongside General Atlantic. Employee shareholders will also be given the opportunity to reinvest, while the family of Argus’ founder will sell their shareholding. “We’re delighted to welcome General Atlantic as our partner as we enter our next phase of growth,” said Adrian Binks. “I am especially pleased that so many current employees are being given the opportunity to reinvest in our business going forward. Argus will remain independent, focused on reporting commodities and will continue to bring transparency to opaque and vital markets.” Argus, which has more than 750 full-time employees, over 160 publications, 21 offices worldwide, and in excess of 23,000 price assessments, fulfils a crucial role in international commodity supply chains. The company’s proprietary price reporting methodologies and high-quality editorial content provide customers with reliable, independent assessments of the prevailing market prices, to which contracts can be anchored. Argus’ client base extends across 140 countries and includes international oil companies, trading houses, government agencies and financial institutions. Argus and General Atlantic expect to complete the transaction within two months, subject to regulatory approval. John Bernstein and Gabriel Caillaux from General Atlantic will join the Argus board of directors on completion of the transaction. General Atlantic has a long track record of partnering with European entrepreneurs and growth companies, having made its first investment in Europe in 1989. Since then, it has invested more than $5bn in 52 companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. www.argusmedia.com www.generalatlantic.com

Mabanaft ‘injecting a bit of fun into the proceedings’ with its iPad game and the chance to win an iPad mini 2 Natalia Toma of Agents Network Limited took the first prize of an iPad mini 2 in Mabanaft’s competition at last month’s FPS EXPO in Liverpool.

Ignacio Casajús takes over as commercial director at CLH-PS with effect from 1st July Ignacio is currently managing director of TERQUIMSA, a company 50% owned by the CLH Group and Vopak This year around £30m is being spent on the Government Pipeline Storage System which was acquired last May by the Spanish CLH Group.