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The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) is a
statutory corporation A statutory corporation is a government entity created as a statutory body by statute. Their precise nature varies by jurisdiction, thus, they are statutes owned by a government or controlled by national or sub-national government to the (in ...
of the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
(MoD) in the United Kingdom. Its current role is to operate six coastal Oil Fuel Depots on behalf of the MoD. The OPA was also previously responsible for the management of the
Government Pipelines and Storage System The CLH Pipeline System, formerly the Government Pipelines and Storage System (GPSS), is a United Kingdom pipeline system run by CLH. The network at one time consisted of over of pipeline and 46 other facilities. However, several of these ...
(GPSS), until its sale in 2015. The OPA is the MoD's professional expert on bulk fuel storage and transportation by pipeline.


History

The OPA was formed at the end of 1985 under the
Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 The Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 (c. 62) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established the Oil and Pipelines Agency to buy, sell or deal in petroleum and to manage on behalf of the Crown petroleum pipelines and storage instal ...
(c. 62). It was the successor organisation to the British National Oil Corporation (BNOC) in its responsibility for managing the Department of Energy's pipelines and storage depots. It was not initially responsible for either the Ministry of Defence spur pipelines or storage depots. Its statutory role was to be responsible for the safe, efficient, economic and effective management of the GPSS. The OPA's tasks included maximising private sector usage of the GPSS provided this did not impinge upon its primary purpose of supplying the required fuel for defence purposes and did not require capital investment from public funds. In 1989 the whole GPSS was amalgamated as a strategic defence asset under the responsibility of the
Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...
and the MoD sponsored the OPA as its managing agent through
Defence Equipment and Support Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is a trading entity and joint-defence organisation within the UK Ministry of Defence. It began operating on 2 April 2007, following the merger of the MoD's Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics ...
. Initially the GPSS had been operated under reimbursable, fully indemnified contracts by the British Pipelines Agency (BPA), Esso, Texaco and Shell. Starting in the late 1980s, OPA contracted out the GPSS in sections as these contracts were terminated. By 1994 the entire GPSS had been let under fixed priced contracts. In February 2012,
Costain Costain is a surname of English, Scottish and Manx origin. When originating in Scotland and northern Ireland the surname is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic ''Mac Austain'', meaning "son of ''Austin''". The English surname is a reduced form of '' ...
was awarded a three-year contract to operate and maintain the entire GPSS on behalf of the OPA. In August 2014, the contract was extended for a further year, until April 2016. In May 2012 the
UK Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...
announced plans sell all or part of the GPSS and legislation to enable it to do so was included in the
Energy Act 2013 The Energy Act 2013 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, relating to the energy sector. It succeeded the Energy Act 2010. The Act focuses on setting decarbonisation targets for the UK, and reforming the electricity market. The Ac ...
. The period leading up to the selling off of the GPSs saw a nine-fold increase in the size of the OPA from 19 staff in March 2009 to 177 in March 2015. The cost of running the agency also increased over the same period from £2.2million in 2008/9 to £10.4million in 2014/15.OPA accounts 2008-9The Oil and Pipelines Agency accounts 2014–15 In March 2015, the government announced it had agreed to sell the GPSS to
Compañía Logística de Hidrocarburos The Exolum Group is a company offering services for transportation and storage of oil products. The Exolum Group is made up of Exolum Corporation, S.A., Exolum Aviación, S.A., Terminales Químicos, S.A. (Terquimsa), CLH Pipeline System Ltd (CLH-P ...
(CLH) for £82m, with CLH taking over operation of the GPSS on 30 April 2015. A contractual agreement between the MoD and CLH ensured military fuel requirements continued to be met using the GPSS. The residual OPA remained to manage 6 Naval Oil Fuel Depots not included in the sale. It was stated that the GPSS would be sold for £82 million but also that the over the next ten years the MoD would pay £237 million for the use of the system. MoD had previously paid nothing for the use of the GPSS and also gained from the surplus of income over expenditure that OPA used to generate from running the GPSS.


Responsibilities

The current responsibilities of the OPA include: to receive, store and deliver marine fuel to meet the MoD ‘s requirements; to manage, operate and maintain the Oil Fuel Depots; to manage and maintain the salt caverns at Plumley and Cape of Good Hope (Cheshire); and to attract third-party customers.


Corporate structure

The management board comprises an independent Non-executive Chairman appointed by the Minister; a Chief Executive appointed by the Minister in consultation with the Chairman and MOD Sponsor; the MOD Sponsor; and two non-executive members. The first Board (with effect from 1 December 1985) were: G. W. Dunkerley (Chairman), K. J. Vaughan (Chief Executive), O. H. Heald (Non-executive member), and C. G. Finch (Non-executive member). In 2019 the Board comprised: Graham Ellis (Chairman since 2012), Adrian Jackson (Chief Executive and Accounting Officer since 2015), Rachel Pearson (MOD Sponsor), Matt Harrison (Non-executive Director), and Trevor Woolley (Non-executive Director). The Company Secretary was Marie Edwards.


Oil Fuel Depots and storage facilities


See also

*
British Pipeline Agency British Pipeline Agency Ltd (BPA) is a joint venture, established in 1969, between BP Oil UK and Shell UK. The company operates the UK oil pipeline network of oil pipelines which transport petroleum products around the UK. Operations BPA repl ...


References


Further reading

* Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars – PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017.


External links


Official web site''Oil and Pipelines Agency Account 2003–2004'', National Audit Office report, London: The Stationery Office, October 8, 2004.''Oil and Pipelines Agency Account 2004–2005'', London: The Stationery Office, July 7, 2005.
{{Authority control Petroleum infrastructure in the United Kingdom Defence agencies of the United Kingdom Statutory corporations of the United Kingdom government Oil pipeline companies 1985 establishments in the United Kingdom Government agencies established in 1985