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Alex meets Minister and Administrator over Petroplus’ future

The work to secure a buyer for the Petroplus terminal facilities at Seal Sands on Teesside is making good progress and Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham is hopeful of a positive outcome.

Alex today met with Industry Minister Charles Hendry and Administrator Stephen Oldfield to learn first-hand what is happening with the complex which, along with its sister organisation at Coryton in the South East, has been in administration for more than two months.

“I was pleased to hear confirmed that the complex at Seal Sands, both the operating terminal and the currently mothballed refinery have attracted a lot of interest from potential buyers, two of which I know are interested in both parts of the complex,” said Alex.

“Stephen Oldfield said the Seal Sands complex could be sold separately from the refinery business in the South East and I am very encouraged that in the longer term we could see more jobs created once the refinery is brought back into use.”

“I am aware of several offers and have kept in regular touch with the administrator who I know is keen to see a sale go through.  It is however complicated due to some shared facilities at Seal Sands and my offer to work with local companies to help prepare the way for a sale was accepted by Mr Oldfield.  I have also agreed to work with Unite who represent local workers to ensure we do the best for Teesside.”

The company have already made around 30 Teesside workers redundant from their marketing organisation but whether or not there will be opportunities for them following the restructuring of the company is currently unclear.