You are currently viewing Hard work underway to save Petroplus on Teesside, the South East and Swansea

Hard work underway to save Petroplus on Teesside, the South East and Swansea

The work to secure the future for Petroplus, which has a major oil and related products storage business at Seal Sands on Teesside, took another step forward on Thursday – but there are still no guarantees.

Stockton North Labour MP Alex Cunningham, met with Industry Minister Charles Hendry, the administrator for the Petroplus business in the UK, trade unionists, officials and MPs from south east England to discuss how everyone can work together to save three of their businesses in the south east, Swansea and Teesside.

There is a major refinery in the south east serving London and the region, a bitumen business at Swansea and the storage facilities at Seal Sands which alone supports 60 jobs.

After the meeting Alex said:

“The meeting lasted nearly two hours and it was good to see administrators, managers, unions, MPs and administrators working together to save the business. The options for the future were openly discussed as were the considerable challenges being faced by the company. I was pleased to be able to question the Administrator, Stephen Oldfield, about the future of the Teesside facilities which provide services to other businesses in the area.

“I was very impressed with Mr Oldfield who demonstrated some clear ideas to secure the plant on Teesside, either as part of the wider Petroplus business or separately. He is aware of the importance of the facilities to the rest of our area.

“Whilst the ambition remains to see a comprehensive restructuring of the whole business, alternative ideas have not been ruled out. Mr Oldfield, who stressed the need for suppliers and customers to keep faith with the company, promised to keep those at the meeting informed over the coming days and weeks.”