Kent Refinery

Kent Oil Refinery
Former site in December 2007
Kent Oil Refinery on the Isle of Grain (Medway)
Country UK
City Isle of Grain
Coordinates 51°27′00″N 0°41′20″E / 51.45°N 0.689°E / 51.45; 0.689Coordinates: 51°27′00″N 0°41′20″E / 51.45°N 0.689°E / 51.45; 0.689
Refinery details
Operator BP
Owner(s) BP
Commissioned 1952 (1952)
Decommissioned 1982
No. of employees 1,500

The Kent Oil Refinery was an oil refinery in Kent on the Isle of Grain.

History

In 1928 a fuel depot (Medway Oil and Storage Company) was built; during the Second World War. In 1943 a spur pipeline (T/D/G) was constructed to the Isle of Grain from off the Thames to Dungeness pipeline (T/D) which fuelled DUMBO, part of Operation Pluto. [1] In 1953 a large oil refinery was constructed by BP. It has also been known as the Grain Refinery and officially as BP Refinery (Kent).

Construction

It was built to the same design as the Abadan Refinery, next to the River Medway. Construction began in late 1950, and the site opened in 1952. At the same time the Thames to Grain (T/G) pipeline was recommissioned to carry refined fuel from the Isle of Grain refinery to the Walton storage depot. The movement of fuel was now in the opposite direction to that originally designed. This led to the need to install new pumping units and construct a new pump-station at Stoke, located close to the Isle of Grain refinery. [2]

The site was designed to process 4 million tons of oil a year. It cost around £40m. It was built by George Wimpey. In 1962 a £3.5m catalytic reformer was built with a £5m aromatics plant.

On 5 April 1955, the site was visited by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.[3]

Production

Each year it could process around ten million tons of crude oil.

Closure

The refinery closed on 27 August 1982.[4]

The site has been taken over by Centrica (British Gas) for LNG distribution.

DUMBO pipeline in 1944

Structure

The site lead to the construction of the oil-fired Grain Power Station. It was accessed via the A228 and B2001.

See also

References

  1. ↑ D.J.Payton-Smith: Oil - A Study of War-time Policy and Administration p411. HMSO SBN 11 630074 4
  2. ↑ Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars - PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017 pp111-112. ISBN 9780992855468
  3. ↑ "QUEEN AND DUKE VISIT KENT OIL REFINERY British Petroleum Company's latest refinery has royal visit". Itnsource.com. 1955. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  4. ↑ "BP Oil Refinery, Isle of Grain, Kent | Educational Images". Historic England. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
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