Coryton Oil Refinery
Bored one night of the week I received an over excited message from Maniac reminding me of a place the world had forgotten to check. I had once a while ago and just seemed a bit too lively and well secure to attempt. This time round we managed in after a 2 hour stint with some brambles, swamps, a few fences including one "electrified" and a couple cameras. Finally got a good look at something everyone has neglected.
We had no idea they were demolishing it and we didn't realize how much had gone until got down from the gas tower and wandered South to be meet with a fallen chimney, a big digger and pile of mangled pipage and steel re bar. It sounded live from the outside but a closer look revealed that it was completely shut down. It looked immaculate for a good time until we saw the devastation behind.
We managed a fair amount of the site, gas tower, covered a bit of ground, control room, freight yard and the gas storage section. But there is so so much more to see, so come down and have a look.
The pictures aren't great at all but there on a report to show y'all it's there.
Security does roll round in a pick up of sorts and the roads are used relatively frequently by the live sections either side of the site but easily avoided.
NP because I'm not done with this yet and hopefully a few others can see it! Hasn't got long left.
Enjoy
History
Coryton Refinery was an oil refinery in Essex, England, on the estuary of the River Thames some 28 miles (45 km) from the centre of London, between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland.
It was a part of the Port of London and was the last of the three major refineries on the Thames Estuary to remain in operation. Output was delivered by road, sea and rail, and it was linked to Stanlow Refinery in North West England by the UK Oil P
ipeline (UKOP). There is a 753 MW gas-fired power station, opened in 2002 and run by Coryton Energy Co Ltd, part of Intergen.
Their main operating units were:
Bored one night of the week I received an over excited message from Maniac reminding me of a place the world had forgotten to check. I had once a while ago and just seemed a bit too lively and well secure to attempt. This time round we managed in after a 2 hour stint with some brambles, swamps, a few fences including one "electrified" and a couple cameras. Finally got a good look at something everyone has neglected.
We had no idea they were demolishing it and we didn't realize how much had gone until got down from the gas tower and wandered South to be meet with a fallen chimney, a big digger and pile of mangled pipage and steel re bar. It sounded live from the outside but a closer look revealed that it was completely shut down. It looked immaculate for a good time until we saw the devastation behind.
We managed a fair amount of the site, gas tower, covered a bit of ground, control room, freight yard and the gas storage section. But there is so so much more to see, so come down and have a look.
The pictures aren't great at all but there on a report to show y'all it's there.
Security does roll round in a pick up of sorts and the roads are used relatively frequently by the live sections either side of the site but easily avoided.
NP because I'm not done with this yet and hopefully a few others can see it! Hasn't got long left.
Enjoy
History
Coryton Refinery was an oil refinery in Essex, England, on the estuary of the River Thames some 28 miles (45 km) from the centre of London, between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland.
It was a part of the Port of London and was the last of the three major refineries on the Thames Estuary to remain in operation. Output was delivered by road, sea and rail, and it was linked to Stanlow Refinery in North West England by the UK Oil P
ipeline (UKOP). There is a 753 MW gas-fired power station, opened in 2002 and run by Coryton Energy Co Ltd, part of Intergen.
Their main operating units were:
- Distillation unit
- Vacuum distillation
- Fluid catalytic cracker
- Catalytic reformer
- Hydro desulphurisation units
- Gas recovery unit
- Isomerisation unit
- Alkylation unit
Statistics
Crude oil was received from tankers of up to 250,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT). In 2005 BP acquired a fleet of three new 32 m tugs for towing, mooring, fire-fighting and pollution control at the plant. They ware named 'Corringham', 'Stanford' and 'Castle Point' after nearby locations.
Refining capacity was 11 million tonnes per year or 220,000 bbl/day.
Product output:
Crude oil was received from tankers of up to 250,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT). In 2005 BP acquired a fleet of three new 32 m tugs for towing, mooring, fire-fighting and pollution control at the plant. They ware named 'Corringham', 'Stanford' and 'Castle Point' after nearby locations.
Refining capacity was 11 million tonnes per year or 220,000 bbl/day.
Product output:
- Petrol 3.6 million tonnes
- Diesel 2.7 million tonnes
- Kerosene/jet fuel 1.1 million tonnes
- LPG 0.2 million tonnes
- Fuel oil 1.7 million tonnes
- Bitumen 0.3 million tonnes
In 2007 the plant was sold by BP to Petroplus for £714.6m (around $1.4 billion).
On 24 January 2012 it was announced that Petroplus had filed for bankruptcy, putting the refinery's future into doubt. To alleviate a possible surge in fuel prices, oil supplies were ordered from other refineries in the UK, such as the Stanlow Refinery via the UK oil pipeline network. Shipments from Coryton resumed on 26 January following agreements signed by the administrators.
PwC (Administration)
On 28 May 2012 it was announced that the refinery would close due to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrators, having failed to find a buyer. Igor Yusufov's Energy Investment Fund was the only potential bidder ready to keep the refinery operating. On 28th Feb 2013 the gas supply to the site was shut off. Around twelve hours later the flare went out, bringing to an end over 60 years of operations at the refinery.
Deepwater fuel import terminal
The refinery will be turned into a diesel import terminal by Vopak, Shell and Greenergy. It will initially have a capacity of 500,000 cubic metres (18,000,000 cu ft).
On 24 January 2012 it was announced that Petroplus had filed for bankruptcy, putting the refinery's future into doubt. To alleviate a possible surge in fuel prices, oil supplies were ordered from other refineries in the UK, such as the Stanlow Refinery via the UK oil pipeline network. Shipments from Coryton resumed on 26 January following agreements signed by the administrators.
PwC (Administration)
On 28 May 2012 it was announced that the refinery would close due to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrators, having failed to find a buyer. Igor Yusufov's Energy Investment Fund was the only potential bidder ready to keep the refinery operating. On 28th Feb 2013 the gas supply to the site was shut off. Around twelve hours later the flare went out, bringing to an end over 60 years of operations at the refinery.
Deepwater fuel import terminal
The refinery will be turned into a diesel import terminal by Vopak, Shell and Greenergy. It will initially have a capacity of 500,000 cubic metres (18,000,000 cu ft).
Pictures
Not great but here's "part 1" of mine I suppose, hopefully you'll see some more from me and hopefully a few others.
Few externals
Gas tower thingy
Control room
We had a lot of rain so the pics are very soft, poor camera...
Up this next
It's big! :S
A live section
Control room itself was very disappointing, but still cool to see.
Maniac Messing about
Upstairs was just servers and kitchen, not great.
That's all I've got so far, I mean this place is big... You'd need a couple days to check the lot. Luckily I have the time so I should be able to get back. Cheers for looking!
PIPES
Not great but here's "part 1" of mine I suppose, hopefully you'll see some more from me and hopefully a few others.
Few externals
Gas tower thingy
Control room
We had a lot of rain so the pics are very soft, poor camera...
Up this next
It's big! :S
A live section
Control room itself was very disappointing, but still cool to see.
Maniac Messing about
Upstairs was just servers and kitchen, not great.
That's all I've got so far, I mean this place is big... You'd need a couple days to check the lot. Luckily I have the time so I should be able to get back. Cheers for looking!
PIPES
