Friday 29 March 2024
 7.3°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / Last gas to leave Sullom by sea

SHETLAND’S Sullom Voe oil terminal marks the end of an era this week with the departure of its final load of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on board the Norwegian tanker Clipper Sky.

LPG tankers used to visit Europe’s largest export terminal once a week during peak production in the mid 1980s, but with the decline in throughput such vessels are rare at Sullom Voe.

This summer sees the completion of terminal operator BP’s £60 million Project Aurora which has replaced miles of rusting pipework with a state of the art gas plant to deal with the 100 tonnes of gas that pass through the plant every day, down from 3,500 tonnes in 1985.

The Clipper Sky will leave Sullom Voe on Thursday with 15,000 tonnes of butane and 8,600 tonnes of propane. Terminal manager Lindsay Boswell will make a presentation to the tanker captain to mark the occasion.

The new gas plant will be fully up and running by August and a large squad of workers have been drafted in to complete the operation and remove the old pipework and flarestacks.

The new gas plant will see 40 fewer people employed at the terminal, but is expected to help keep it going for another 25 years.

Gas will be burned off in the flare stack, be re-injected into crude oil or join the Magnus EOR pipeline to help extract more oil out of old fields in the North Sea.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.