Originally Stanlow was an ocean installation, blending and redistributing imported petroleum products; refining started in 1924 when a small bitumen plant came into operation. Successive projects led to the creation of a sophisticated major refinery with an annual capacity of over 18 million tonnes of crude oil. Current capacity (December 1996) - 12.5 million tonnes.

Refining is carried out on Stanlow South site while distribution is located on Stanlow North. Adjoining Stanlow South Refinery are the chemical manufacturing plants of Shell Chemicals UK Ltd and the Thornton Research Centre of Shell Research Ltd.

There are two crude oil distillation units; the latest completed during 1974. Other plants include a long residue fluid catalytic cracking unit (1988), an HVI luboil plant (1968) and two platformers (1972/1984) one of which is mothballed. The platformers produce motor gasoline components and supply feedstock for an aromatics complex, which produces benzene and toluene. A gas separation unit yields propene and butane/butene that are used in the associated petrochemical plants and a gasoline alkylation unit (1990). The refinery also contains a hydrodesulphurising plant as well as sundry minor units.

The chemical plants process gases from the main refinery plant, ethene from Mossmoran (Esso/Shell) ethane cracker and other feedstock; products include higher olefins, sulphur, alcohols, resins, detergents, lubricating oil additives and solvents.

Pipelines between Stanlow and the Carrington works of Shell Chemicals U.K. Limited, some 25 miles away, deliver feedstocks between the two locations. Stanlow feeds the northern end of the Mersey/Thames pipeline of United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Limited.

Stanlow occupies a large area, nearly 1900 acres and has storage capacity of 2 million tonnes of crude oil and products. Crude oil is transferred by pipeline to Stanlow from the Tranmere Terminal on the River Mersey.

[Map of UK Refineries]

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