Irish News
In brief
Business as
usual at Top Oil
Fuel Oil News
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6 A tantalising flurry of snow captured by Convery Oils, Kilrea, Co Derry.
6 Oil remains the premier choice for home heating in Ireland with 40% of homes in the
Republic and 68% of homes in Northern Ireland using liquid fuel. In its 2017 report
the Environmental Protection Agency reported that river quality in Ireland continues
to deteriorate with oil incidents remaining a major and increasing problem. In 2019,
FPS, OFTEC and tank manufacturers will be stressing the benefits of bunded tanks
with a concerted effort to promote best practice in the liquid storage sector. Look out
for ‘Better Bunded’ activities throughout the year.
6 Two men were arrested in a multi-million fuel fraud raid on the outskirts of Newry.
A suspected distillation-type fuel plant was dismantled and 45,000 litres of fuel was
seized, along with six large tanks, one rigid lorry with a 20,000 litre tank, one transit
van, one 40 foot fridge trailer, one 40ft curtain side trailer and a private car The plant
had the potential to produce in excess of 10 million litres of illicit fuel a year with the
potential loss of £6.5m in revenue.
6 In just one year, more than 3,000 drive-offs were reported to the police in Northern
Ireland with only 37 successful prosecutions. The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA)
believe the level of forecourt crime is actually higher. PRA chairman Brian Madderson
said: “The figures seem very low to me and I can only think that a lot of retailers are
not bothering to report incidents as they feel there is little police interest or little
likelihood of a successful prosecution.” Police said that research showed up to 85% of
drive-offs were ‘genuine mistakes’ that do not require their input.
6
With research by the Northern Ireland Research and Statistics Agency showing that
carbon monoxide poisoning has claimed the lives of 49 people over the past 6
years, OFTEC has issued the ABC safety check list to all Northern Ireland households.
larm: Purchase a CO alarm for every room with a fuel boiler, wood
burner or open fire. Where a new/replacement oil, gas or solid fuel appliance
is installed in a dwelling, a carbon monoxide detector/alarm should be provided
for the room in which the appliance is located.
atteries: Ensure all alarms are functioning by holding the ‘test’ button
regularly.
heck: Households with incorrectly installed or poorly maintained
appliances are at greater risk of CO exposure. Oil boilers should be serviced
at least once a year by an OFTEC registered technician.
A
B
C
16 Fuel Oil News | March 2019
With the agreement finalised, Canadian-owned
Irving Oil acquired the Tedcastle Group of
companies – a family-owned business with a 200-
year trading history – in late January.
Operating under the Top Oil brand, Irving
Oil has stated that the Top Oil business and its
assets will continue to operate on a business-as-
usual basis. Top Oil sells 1.3 billion litres of fuel
annually through its forecourt network and sales
to commercial and residential consumers in Ireland.
“This is a historic day for our company,” said
Arthur Irving, chairman of Irving Oil.
“We’re happy to welcome the Top Oil team
to Irving Oil and we look forward to continuing to
grow our business in the Irish market.”
Working towards continued growth and
success in Ireland, Gerard Boylan, CEO of Top Oil
said that the company had ‘great pride in joining
Irving Oil’.
“As a family-owned company with a strong
customer and community focus, Irving Oil’s core
values reflect our own”, added Gerard.
“Together, we will ensure responsible
and reliable operations for our customers, our
employees and our communities.”
Since purchasing the Whitegate refinery
in 2016 Irving Oil has continued to provide a
secure and reliable supply to customers with
this acquisition allowing the company to further
expand.
“Top Oil is a highly respected company with an
excellent reputation as a safe, reliable, top-quality
fuel supplier in Ireland; we are honoured to be in
a position to uphold that commitment,” said Ian
Whitcomb, president of Irving Oil.
Like Irving Oil, Top Oil has a fully-integrated
market presence and well-established ties to the
communities it serves. With a 55,000-tonne clean
product terminal at Dublin Port, 22 inland depots,
200 dealer and company-owned forecourts and
more than 20 dedicated fuel card sites, Top Oil
provides a reliable supply of fuel products to the
country’s businesses and consumers
The Irish market has seen more
consolidation in recent years, will further
consolidation follow? Fuel Oil News
welcomes your views to
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