Pembroke Refinery
Encyclopedia
The Pembroke Refinery is an oil refinery
situated on the Pembrokeshire
coast in Wales
at Rhoscrowther
in the community
of Hundleton. It first came on stream in 1964. The refinery has a fluid catalytic cracking
unit that came on stream in 1982. The refinery also has an HF Alkylation unit, catalytic reforming
unit and three hydrotreating type units. Pembroke refinery has the capability of refining acidic crude oils like Captain and Doba
crudes.
The refinery was initially owned by the Regent Oil Company, a large domestic marketer of Trinidad-produced oils. Regent was fully acquired by Texaco
in 1956 (although the brand name was only phased out in the UK in favour of Texaco in the late 1960s). Today the refinery is owned and branded by the Chevron Corporation
, as a result of their acquisition of Texaco. Chevron put the refinery up for sale in late 2009, and have agreed the sale for £750 million to Valero Energy Corporation.
.
On 2 June 2011, an explosion and fire occurred at 18:20 BST. Ten fire and rescue service vehicles were sent to the scene, and the fire extinguished within an hour and a half. Four workers were killed.
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
situated on the Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
coast in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
at Rhoscrowther
Rhoscrowther
Rhoscrowther is a village and former civil parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, west of Pembroke, near the south shore of Milford Haven. It is part of the community of Hundleton....
in the community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
of Hundleton. It first came on stream in 1964. The refinery has a fluid catalytic cracking
Fluid catalytic cracking
Fluid catalytic cracking is the most important conversion process used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling, high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases, and other products...
unit that came on stream in 1982. The refinery also has an HF Alkylation unit, catalytic reforming
Catalytic reforming
Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates which are components of high-octane gasoline...
unit and three hydrotreating type units. Pembroke refinery has the capability of refining acidic crude oils like Captain and Doba
Doba
Doba is a city in Chad, the capital of the region of Logone Oriental.Exploitation of oil resources in the vicinity of Doba is expected to produce economic benefits.The town is served by Doba Airport.-Demographics:...
crudes.
The refinery was initially owned by the Regent Oil Company, a large domestic marketer of Trinidad-produced oils. Regent was fully acquired by Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
in 1956 (although the brand name was only phased out in the UK in favour of Texaco in the late 1960s). Today the refinery is owned and branded by the Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
, as a result of their acquisition of Texaco. Chevron put the refinery up for sale in late 2009, and have agreed the sale for £750 million to Valero Energy Corporation.
Accidents
In July 1994 an explosion and fire at refinery injured 26 workers and damaged houses as far away as Milford HavenMilford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
.
On 2 June 2011, an explosion and fire occurred at 18:20 BST. Ten fire and rescue service vehicles were sent to the scene, and the fire extinguished within an hour and a half. Four workers were killed.