UK Oil Pipeline Ltd
The UKOP system is an oil products pipeline system owned by a consortium of UK oil companies, it is one of the most highly used, complex and fully automated multi-product installations of its kind – and a key UK strategic supply asset. Since its opening in 1969, BPA has been responsible for management and development of the system. UKOP comprises of three integrated pipeline systems totalling 650km and transports around 5 million tonnes of mixed products each year from a refinery on the River Mersey and an Oil Storage Terminal on the Thames Estuary to inland distribution terminals. Thames pump station is a major mainline pumping facility on the ingress to the southern end of the UKOP pipeline. It was identified that as the station’s ageing infrastructure was becoming overly expensive to maintain it would be prudent for it to be rebuilt. The design was based on existing flow rates to provide reliable pumping operations, meter-proving facilities and pig launching facilities for the next 25 years.
BPA undertook Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for the rebuilding of the Thames pumping station in order to bring the installation up to current industry requirements through the replacement of equipment like-for-like. Generally the operating philosophy (i.e. the general pumping configurations used) of the Thames site remained unchanged post completion – only minor changes to the site’s operating protection functionality were affected by the introduction of such new equipment
as hydrocarbon detection, interceptor pump instruments, etc.
BPA managed the project as the Principal Designer under Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.
