This year, the ConocoPhillips-operated Teesside Oil Terminal in the United Kingdom will celebrate 50 years of service, renowned for its exceptional reliability and strong safety performance. This milestone marks a significant journey since the terminal's early days.
On Oct. 19, 1975, the first volumes of oil were transported through the 354-kilometer Norpipe Oil subsea pipeline from the Ekofisk field on the Norwegian shelf, across the North Sea, to the Teesside Oil Terminal on England's northeastern coast.
Since then, additional oil and gas fields in Norway and the U.K. have contributed to the Ekofisk blend. The Teesside terminal processes, stores and loads this blend onto tankers for global transport with a 99.99 percent uptime.
Terminal's capabilities
The Teesside Oil Terminal in the U.K. receives, processes, stores and exports crude oil and natural gas liquids.
Sample of first oil from Ekofisk
A sample of first oil from the Ekofisk field, transported to Teesside via the Norpipe Oil subsea pipeline in 1975.
Jetty
Oil and natural gas liquids are loaded onto vessels at the terminal's jetty area.
“We are proud of our legacy and performance,” said Lee Murray, general manager at ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Holdings Ltd. “Our reliability at the terminal is key to energy security.”
Located at Seal Sands in Middlesbrough, the Teesside Oil Terminal has earned recognition for its high environmental management standards. It has been commended for its environmental awareness, diligent monitoring and measurement practices, and strong cooperation with regulatory agencies.
In addition to its environmental achievements, the terminal's safety performance reflects a journey of continuous improvement and valuable lessons learned over time.
Simon Leach
"Our top priority is achieving zero injuries, ensuring everyone returns home safely," said Simon Leach, health, safety, environment and quality manager. "We are dedicated to upholding our high safety standards and fostering a secure, productive environment for everyone."
Currently, the terminal employs approximately 260 employees and is a workplace for about 300 contractors. On a day-to-day basis, about 500 people work at the site, whereas 60 employees work at the Wynyard office.
These workers manage the flow of volumes from offshore fields, oversee the separation and stabilization processes, and handle the storage of crude oil in nine tanks, each with a total capacity of 640,000 barrels. Additionally, they coordinate the offloading operations to vessels at the port's jetty area, which features facilities for loading oil and natural gas liquids onto tankers.
Aaron Stallard started as an instrument and analyzer technician at the terminal after completing an apprenticeship. While working, he self-funded a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. Upon completion of his studies, Stallard continued to work at the terminal, gaining more experience. Later, he was offered the opportunity to work on a large-scale system upgrade and control room relocation project.
Over the past year, Stallard has transitioned into the role of project lead for schedule execution and budgets while undertaking a master’s degree in process safety and loss prevention.
“I’m proud to work for a company focused on professional development," he said, "and contribute to projects that transform and future-proof operations at Teesside."
ConocoPhillips employees inspect the terminal's new control room under construction.
For nearly five decades, the control room at the Teesside Oil Terminal has been on-site. Now, a new building is almost ready, promising modern collaboration and improved efficiency.
"The new building, with its state-of-the-art control room, office and meeting space along with an improved social area, provides for a fantastic work environment," said U.K. Human Resources Manager Anne Willis. "This upgrade reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and sets the stage for future success."
