l-r: – Mark (2nd from left) and Amanda Hobbs at the new depot with Brian Colquhoun, Rob Spearman and Paul Shepard of Clydesdale Bank Hobbs Bros recently moved to brand new purpose-built premises on a two acre site in Gloucester. Funded long term by Clydesdale Bank, Hobbs Bros moved from its previously rented premises to the newly purchased site in the autumn. Established more than 100 years ago Hobbs is a fourth generation family business with a turnover of £18m, which distributes Texaco fuels and Chevron and Exol lubricants throughout Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire. The new depot features four 200,000 litre tanks, two each for gas oil and kerosene plus 150,000 litre tanks for diesel and Premium paraffin. The company’s 19 staff includes four members of the Hobbs family – owner Mark Hobbs is the great great grandson of the original proprietor Clem.  Mark’s wife Amanda is company secretary, his sister Jane is lubricants manager with step son Chris being one of the tanker drivers for the company’s 11-strong fleet. “We’d been in talks with Clydesdale Bank before and decided that now was the right time for us to transfer our full banking to them,” explained Mark.  We’re confident that the move to the new premises will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality of service to our customers throughout Gloucestershire. “In a family business environment, it’s easier to provide the highest quality of customer service,” added Mark.  “We can make our own decisions straightaway without having to speak to a head office.  I know if a worker calls in sick, I will take on their work and make sure the job is always done.” “Hobbs Bros is a well-known, respected business in Gloucestershire which has always ensured that the local community has a regular supply of fuel and heat,” said Rob Spearman, head of Clydesdale Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Gloucester. “We’re delighted that Hobbs was able to take advantage of one of the new lending initiatives we launched this year to help purchase their new premises.”   www.hobbsbros.co.uk

Will Merrick (centre) with members of the Mansfield depot team At the beginning of December, NWF Fuels officially opened its new depot at Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Operating in the eastern region as a JET branded distributor, the new depot is backed by Phillips 66. It covers Nottinghamshire across to Kingsbury in the West Midlands and Immingham in Lincolnshire as well as supplying to the Yorkshire cities of Sheffield, Doncaster and York and all points in between. Looking after the new depot is regional manager Will Merrick who heads up a team comprising Steve Colton in transport, planning and routing, Margaret Barrett and Rachel Clarke in business development, Alex Lewin, internal sales, Helen Bull, customer service with Anne Patten being responsible for business administration. “We believe that the building of this modern facility in such a strategic location for my region will offer great opportunities for development,” said Will.www.nwffuels.co.uk For more about the new depot – please see the January 2015 issue of Fuel Oil News

Varun will be based both at the marine head office in Warrington and at The Maltings in Cardiff. As its new trading & risk manager, specialist marine fuel trader Varun Chhabria brings ‘new expertise’ to the Certas Energy’s marine team. In line with the growth plans for the marine sector of the business, Varun brings new industry experience to the expanding marine team.  Varun’s career has focused exclusively on the marine industry, with positions at international commodities trading companies, Inver Energy and most recently as UK sourcing and trading Manager at OW Bunker UK.  At these companies, Varun has developed skills in sales and trading, hedging and contract negotiation.Aiming to become a dominant player in marine fuel Commenting on his new role, Varun said:  “This is an exciting time to join Certas Energy – the marine distribution side of the business is really going places and has aspirations for significant growth which I intend to help facilitate.  With the drive and ambition of the team, I’m confident that Certas Energy will become a dominant player in the marine fuel distribution sector over the coming years. “Varun is an excellent fit with our current team dynamic,” said Gary Byers, head of UK marine.  “He brings fresh experience on the trading side of the business and is already fully furnished with the business requirements of Certas Energy having worked with members of our team already.”  www.certasenergy.co.uk

When designing this skid, Alpeco fully appreciated the space issues says Nolan Oils Just 15 miles from Nolan Oil’s Bicester depot, Alpeco was the preferred supplier when the Oxfordshire distributor was looking to upgrade its fuel delivery station. Whilst Nolan Oils needed to install a 4-arm 1700 LPM bottom loading skid, the company still needed to keep its existing top loading bay to facilitate the loading of 3rd party trucks many of which are not equipped for bottom loading. Severe space constraints meant that Alpeco had to design and build a bespoke skid unit for a precise location. Built at Alpeco’s premises in Aylesbury, the skid   was designed and configured in such a way as to allow it to be installed alongside Nolan’s existing top loading bay. To make best use of the limited space available, the four new pump units were installed separately in the tank bund thus allowing the skid frame to be more compact. “Alpeco met our requirements,” said managing director Mark Nolan. “Following a visit by Alpeco’s design engineers, they fully appreciated the issue regarding space and supplied us with a very compact skid unit, enabling us to retain our existing top loading rack, with the result that loading speeds are now much faster.”  www.nolanoils.co.uk

Anyone with information about fuel fraud should call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 Last week over 100 HMRC officers were involved in searches which led to the dismantling of two diesel laundering plants on the Wirral and in Kent and eight arrests. At the Birkenhead laundering plant over 9,000 litres of suspected illicit fuel was removed along with equipment and chemicals. Three men from Merseyside were subsequently arrested. At premises in Ashford in Kent, 12,000 litres were removed along with chemicals, equipment and a fuel tanker. Capable of producing nearly 120,000 litres of suspected illicit fuel a day; the plants would evade almost £12.5 million in taxes a year A further eight premises were searched with a further five men arrested in Essex, Lancashire and the West Midlands. All those arrested have been bailed until April 2015 pending further enquiries. Investigations into the illegal fuel plants are continuing. “It’s wrong that honest businesses should be undercut by criminals involved in making or selling laundered fuel,” said Sandra Smith, HMRC’s assistant director, criminal investigation.

Lord Oxburgh (l) receives his Melchett Award from Malcolm Brinded CBE FEI, vice president, Energy Institute The above is the title of the Melchett Lecture delivered recently by former Shell chairman Lord Ronald Oxburgh of Liverpool who was also presented with the Melchett Award. “I’m delighted to have been honoured by the Energy Institute (EI) in this way,” said Lord Oxburgh KBE HonFEI.  “I offer my thanks both to the EI and to the numerous friends and colleagues with whom I have enjoyed discussing energy and energy policy over the years and from whom I have learned so much.” An eminent geologist and geophysicist, Lord Oxburgh has worked in academia, the Civil Service and the private sector. After an early career teaching and researching in universities across the UK and the US, he became chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defence and then rector of Imperial College. Having been a member of the Shell Board for a number of years, he became chairman in 2005 and stepped down a year later having overseen the merger of Shell with Royal Dutch Petroleum to form the current Royal Dutch Shell. He is currently president of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and chairs several small renewable energy companies. He received his KBE in 1992 and became a life peer, joining the House of Lords in 1999, where he previously sat on its Select Committee on Science and Technology.

Part of the RE:Group team (l-r), Matthew Fenton, collections driver, Sarah Atkinson, business development manager, Paul Waine, managing director, and Rob Booth, production director. RE:Group UK is poised for further growth following an investment of nearly £2m. In the first quarter of 2015, the company, which collects and processes aqueous and oily waste and manufactures environmentally sound industrial fuels, is commissioning an innovative processing plant in Hull. The investment has so far generated five new jobs, with a further 19 posts expected to be created over the next two to three years as the plant’s production capacity is developed. The new environmentally friendly process, which RE:Group claims is an ‘industry game changer’, will improve the processing of waste oils by facilitating a greater recovery rate, removing the need for the use of chemicals and providing a more commercially competitive product. The company, which specialises in waste oil management and hydrocarbon recovery, currently handles more than 50 million litres of marine and industrial oil each year and sells advanced fuels under its RE:Fuel brand to sectors such as brewing, food production, aggregates and abattoirs. Managing director, Paul Waine, said: “This is a significant and strategic investment for RE:Group giving us the increased capacity to develop our customer base through providing innovative hydrocarbon based products.” The new 1.7 acre location in Hull’s riverside industrial area, will allow the company to consolidate operations through creating a physical link with two of its other sites – a tank storage area and fuel production facility. The new location is also home to Clipper House, a 3,200 sq. ft. newly restored Edwardian building, which becomes RE:Group’s new head office. www.regroup.uk.com

Fergus Ewing, minister for energy, enterprise and tourism, at the launch of the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre in Aberdeen The newly established Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) is already having an impact on accelerating new technologies to support the North Sea oil and gas industry. OGIC’s official launch in Aberdeen revealed that it now has its first projects coming on stream and is in discussion with more than 50 companies regarding technology development opportunities. OGIC provides a single access point to the knowledge and capabilities of 12 Scottish universities for the oil and gas industry. It can also part-fund and provide management support for projects with the potential to deliver technology solutions to the exploration, production and decommissioning challenges facing the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). It links around 2,300 oil and gas operators and service companies to more than 450 academic staff and researchers in Scotland working in oil and gas related areas. Speaking at the launch, Fergus Ewing, minister for energy, enterprise and tourism, said: “The Oil & Gas Innovation Centre represents a very positive step in the right direction in ensuring support for operators and supply chain companies – allowing them to maximise the recovery of our significant hydrocarbon resources.” Ian Phillips, chief executive of OGIC, said: “Innovation is now one of the major priorities for the oil and gas sector locally and globally in order to maximise return from existing assets and to bring new, more challenging reserves into production.” The Scottish Funding Council, which provided the initial capital for OGIC, has also welcomed OGIC’s transformation from concept through to delivery body in a matter of months.  www.ogic.co.uk

Gulf Aviation kept the emergency aircraft airborne during the NATO summit in Cardiff Gulf Aviation came to Cardiff Heliport’s rescue by providing urgent fuel supplies to keep emergency aircraft airborne at the NATO summit. In September the NATO global gathering of world leaders brought stringent security measures to Cardiff, including five police helicopters which needed to be refuelled constantly, as well as an air ambulance and a military chopper. The heliport, which usually goes through an average of 10,000 litres of aviation fuel a month, needed an urgent resupply after more than 30,000 litres were drained from its stockpile in just three days. Gulf Aviation, a division of Certas Energy, came to the heliport’s aid by securing an urgent delivery of fuel from Grangemouth to the Welsh capital. Paul Stanfield, head of operations at Cardiff Heliport, said: “I have never seen the heliport so busy. We have a capacity to hold 40,000 litres of fuel, but at the rate our fuel supply was being depleted, we wouldn’t have had enough fuel for the police helicopters to deal with anything unplanned. Gulf went above and beyond to supply the emergency transportation of fuel, which thankfully arrived less than 24 hours after I called them.” David Dykes, the supply, logistics and commercial manager at Gulf Aviation, said: “We were happy to be able to support Cardiff Heliport with the emergency fuel they needed in order to see the NATO summit through. Making sure we give a personal and customer focused service is an integral part of our offering.” aviation.gulfoil.co.uk/See the December issue of Fuel Oil News for an interview with Gulf Aviation.

Jim Ratcliffe “I want INEOS to be the biggest player in the UK shale gas industry,” said Jim Ratcliffe founder and chairman of INEOS which announced plans to invest $1 billion in UK onshore shale gas exploration and appraisal last week. If INEOS wins all the Petroleum Exploration and Development licences (PEDLs) – the vast majority are in Scotland and northern England – for which it has bid from DECC, the company would become the biggest player in the UK’s shale gas industry. INEOS is already the owner of two substantial shale licences in Scotland comprising over 120,000 acres, in addition to investing a further £400 million in an ambitious project to bring US shale gas to Grangemouth. If the company moved into development and production, substantial further investment would follow. “I think shale gas could revolutionise UK manufacturing as it has done in the USA,” said Jim Ratcliffe.  INEOS believes that an indigenous shale gas industry would transform UK manufacturing and that the gas can be extracted safely and responsibly. Gary Haywood, CEO INEOS Upstream, says: “Whilst the awarding of the licences is a matter for DECC, we believe our knowledge and experience in running complex petrochemical facilities, coupled with the world class sub surface expertise we have recently added to our team, means that INEOS will be seen as a very safe pair of hands”. The company also announced plans to give local communities 6% of the revenues from any shale gas it produces (4% going to home & land owners above the well and 2% to the wider local community). I believe INEOS has the resources to make it happen, the skills to extract the gas safely and the vision to realise that everyone must share in the rewards,”  added Jim Ratcliffe.   www.ineos.com

Minister for the Environment, Mark H Durkan, will be the keynote speaker at the Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) Transport Manager Northern Ireland conference, to be held at Titanic, Belfast on 3 March 2015. The conference, sponsored by Volvo Trucks and Brigade Electronics, aims to give transport managers the information and assistance they need to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing transport scene in Northern Ireland, covering key issues facing transport managers in the year ahead and providing advice relevant to everyday operations. The event will also include sessions by head of the Transport Regulation Unit (TRU) Donna Knowles, chief executive of Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI) Keith Morrison, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). FTA policy experts will also be on hand to give updates and provide transport managers with guidance and best practice advice surrounding future legislation and enforcement changes. Prices for attending this event have been held at 2014 rates. The cost for FTA members is £265 (+ VAT) for the first delegate and £225 (+ VAT) for subsequent delegates. The cost for non-members is £330 (+ VAT) for the first delegate and £290 (+ VAT) for subsequent delegates. An online booking form is available at: http://www.fta.co.uk/events/transport_manager_northern_ireland_2015.html

Tony Brown, technical manager, Dawn Shakespeare, marketing and events manager, with Mark Askew The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has moved its office to Vienna House at Birmingham International Park in the West Midlands. “By moving, we’re now in a more central location geographically which means our members can access us more easily, and we’ve also reduced administration costs,” explained chief executive Mark Askew. “The new office is located near the NEC and Birmingham International airport and rail station which makes it ideal for members working across the country. We have more members than ever so it makes sense to be centrally located. “We’ve also recently enjoyed great success in Ireland where our member numbers are growing strongly together with our involvement at local and government level in the country on all oil-related matters,” added Mark. The FPS has 107 distributor members in the UK and 31 distributor members in the Republic of Ireland, with a total of 180 members. Between them, FPS members make around 5 million fuel deliveries a year. FPS’s new address is Vienna House, International Square, Starley Way, Birmingham International Business Park, Solihull B37 7GN.www.fpsonline.co.uk 

It was with ‘great frustration and regret’ that Bryan Kelly, vice president of UK operations for Murphy Petroleum, made the announcement that the Klesch Group deal announced in the summer had collapsed last week. “For the past four years we have worked tirelessly to secure a positive outcome for the future of the refinery and our workforce. Unfortunately, and despite every effort on the part of Murphy and our employees, we have been denied the desired outcome.” The refinery, which is already in shut-down, will now be decommissioned as Murco looks for a new buyer for its three terminals at Westerleigh, Theale and Bedworth and refinery which will become a storage and distribution base. Bryan Kelly thanked Murco staff for ‘their continued professionalism and commitment during the sales process’, and also placed ‘on record his appreciation ‘for the efforts of the UK government and the Welsh government and its Task Force.’ With all but 60 of the plant’s 400 jobs likely to go, Plaid Cymru has called for funding from the European Union’s Globalisation Adjustment Fund to help the workers.  MEP Jill Evans has also written to Welsh secretary Stephen Crabb to ask him to apply for funds. Changes to the global refining industry are impacting on the local economy with Murco’s contribution alone estimated to be worth about £30m a year. Whilst recent developments have led to a new gas-fired power station and two LNG terminal and a new combined heat and a power plant at South Hook has also received planning permission, this week a task force led by economy minister Edwina Hart will seek to attract new jobs to the area. MFG completed its purchase of Murco’s retail business on 1st October.  Managing director Jeremy Clarke said the collapse of the Klesch deal would have no implications for his company. www.murco.co.uk

Information, issues and future development are all on the agenda at next month’s FTA Fuel Tanker Conference. To ensure that fleet managers and vehicle engineers are fully up-to-date, this bi-annual event which takes place on Tuesday 2nd December at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham will include the following topics delivered by high profile representatives from the Department for Transport, DVSA and the Health and Safety Executive. Dangers and safe operation Regulation and issues with tanker approvals Inspection and certification ADR testing and enforcement Latest developments with fuel tanker components Safe Loading Pass Scheme – 2014 relaunch Energy Institute initiatives Challenges for operators  Andy Mair, FTA’s head of engineering, who is chairing the event said: “This FTA conference, sponsored by MAN Truck & Bus and PTV Group, provides an ideal opportunity for fleet managers, vehicle engineers and individuals with responsibility for specifying road fuel tanker design, and maintaining compliance with ADR and fuel tanker certification requirements with an exclusive opportunity to hear from the authorities and industry experts in this highly regulated industry sector.  Delegates will benefit from the confidence in being up-to-date with the very latest information, guidance and best practice advice surrounding developments in tank certification and operation.” The cost for FTA members is £325 + VAT for the first delegate and £275 + VAT for subsequent delegates; for non-members the cost is £385 + VAT for the first delegate and £345 + VAT for subsequent delegates. http://www.fta.co.uk/events/fuel_tanker_conference_2014.html  

INEOS has commissioned a further two Dragon Class ships to bring US ethane from shale gas to its manufacturing plants at Grangemouth and in Norway. The increased order raises the fleet to 8 Dragon Class ships which are needed as construction of an ethane terminal starts at Grangemouth and another nears completion at Rafnes David Thompson, chief operating officer INEOS Trading & Shipping said: “This exciting news is another important milestone in our plan to bring the benefits of US shale economics to our European sites.” Investment in a supply of US ethane is vital to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of gas crackers that so far have relied on declining and expensive volumes from the North Sea. At Grangemouth construction of a new ethane import terminal and storage tank and infrastructure is well under way and should be completed in 2016. At Rafnes in Norway, a new ethane storage tank and terminal are approaching completion in time to be fully operational in 2015. “The ethane that we’re bringing to our sites from the US is essential to these plants,” added David Thompson. “As the most competitive feedstock in Europe it will be transformational for our operations. The two additional ships mean we can transport sufficient volumes of ethane to meet the demands of our manufacturing sites and continue to take advantage of significant cost benefits.” The Dragon Class ships are tailored to meet the specific needs of this project and are built to the latest specifications matching the highest environmental and efficiency performance levels. They are the largest, most flexible and advanced multi-gas carriers yet to be built. They will provide INEOS with a flexible solution for their ethane supplies with the option of transporting LNG, LPG as well as petrochemical gases including ethylene. www.ineos.com/sites/grangemouth

For its commitment to achieving excellence in health and safety, the WP Group has once again been awarded accreditation from Safecontractor. “To achieve this accreditation for yet another year demonstrates WP Group’s commitment to putting people first – staff, our clients and the public,” said Russell Fairchild, CQC director.  “The accreditation enhances the company’s ability to attract new contracts and its commitment to safety is viewed positively by its insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal.” WP Group employs over 100 people and has an annual turnover in excess of £200 million. Its most recent clients have included major players such as Thames Water and other blue chip corporations. Setting an example A third party accreditation scheme, Safecontractor recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors. The company’s application for Safecontractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business. “More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that WP Group has done.” said John Kinge, technical director of Safecontractor.  “The firm’s high standard has set an example which will hopefully be followed by other companies within the sector.” Under the scheme, businesses undergo a vetting process which examines health and safety procedures and their track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high standard are included on a database, which is accessible to registered users only via a website. Client organisations which sign up to the scheme can access the database, enabling them to vet potential contractors before they even set foot on site. These clients agree that, as users of the scheme, they will engage only those who have received accreditation. www.safecontractor.com

Certas Energy has joined the UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA) as a full associate member. The associate scheme is aimed at further developing industry cooperation, dialogue and excellence in the areas of process safety and transportation on road and rail. Chris Hunt, UKPIA’s director general, said: “UKPIA welcomes Certas Energy as associate. Our associate scheme is designed to enhance and foster cooperation, learning and development.” Brian Worrall, corporate affairs director at Certas Energy, commented: “As one of the largest oil distributors in the UK, we endeavour to ensure that we are represented on, and involved with, the key industry bodies for our sector. As a membership organisation, UKPIA can ensure that the issues facing the petrol industry are addressed and supported by the UK Government and its members.” Certas Energy provided diesel for around 60 ships taking part in The Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival which took place over four sites around the south coast. Head of marine at Certas Gary Byers, said: The festival was a great success and it was so rewarding to be a part of it and provide the fuel for many of the incredible ships that took part in the event.” www.certasenergy.co.uk