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Petroleum

The UK petroleum industry, also referred to as downstream, consists of over 200 companies involved in the refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products. They range from large, multinational oil companies, supermarket chains and independent retail groups, through to the independent retailer with a single site.

The main product of the downstream industry is transport fuel. This market is split into commercial and retail. The commercial market includes power generators, industrial, transport and agriculture customers, independent fuel distributors, the government and its agencies, public services and the military. The retail market covers fuels mainly sold from high street filling stations. The downstream petroleum industry employs over 150,000 people directly, and several thousands of contract workers. The workforce is mainly employed in stabilising, refining and manufacturing, and in forecourt retailing activities.

Environmental concerns

Increased public concerns about environmental disasters and the effects of fossil fuels on global warming have sharpened the industry’s focus on environmental and safety issues. As the demand for energy grows so do concerns about the impact on the environment.

The UKOOA Sustainability Strategy Update and Progress Report 2005 details the industry’s progress in developing and implementing a sustainability strategy, and the Offshore Oil and Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2005, indicate that protection of the environment is high on the agenda of all oil companies. Environmental management now forms a key part of the decision-making process.

Recent improvements include:

• use of ultrasonic leak detection to reduce gas flare losses;
• introduction of more thermally efficient power plants on platforms;
• installation of simultaneous steam and electricity production facilities in refineries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions;
• work with conservation organisations to preserve habitats that will allow species to flourish;
• investments in new technology to maximise output from existing fields.

The offshore industry produces 80% of the UK’s primary energy. It also generates 3% of the country’s carbon dioxide and methane emissions

US Petroleum Holdings, information about gas, oil and petroleum

The UK now exports quantities of crude oil and is acknowledged for expertise in the area of deep-water technology – using advanced engineering techniques for extracting a higher proportion of oil from each field. This technique was unknown twenty years ago. Consequently, UK specialists are in demand all over the world.

The UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) is facing significant challenges as the province matures. Recovering oil and gas from the North Sea and the Atlantic Margin (the area of water to the west of Shetland and the north of the Hebrides) is a highly technical, complex, dangerous and expensive job. As supplies from larger oil fields run out, smaller, more expensive fields are being exploited. UK oil companies have to be inventive and invest in safe and efficient techniques to remain competitive.

The UK still has substantial recoverable reserves of oil and gas, potentially exceeding the amount already produced. However, many existing, large producing fields are well into decline and discoveries are becoming fewer and smaller or have significant associated technical challenges.

Current trends

As the UK’s oil fields mature, the industry’s focus has shifted from searching for new oil discoveries to continuing the productivity of mature fields, as well as developing smaller fields that were not previously considered commercially viable. This trend has prompted major oil companies to begin selling some of their mature UKCS assets in favour of other regions of the world. Smaller, independent oil companies have been acquiring these UKCS assets.

Natural gas is the UK’s largest source of primary energy, supplying over 40% of the country’s total energy needs. It is used as both a domestic and industrial fuel. It generates electricity to provide heat and power for homes and industries, and is feedstock for chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other products.

The UK is currently the world’s fourth largest producer of natural gas and has more than 200 offshore fields in production around Great Britain. The greatest concentrations of gas are found in the southern sector of the North Sea, but significant volumes are also produced from the central and