Motoring Discussion > Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline!	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn	Replies: 39

New Tue 22 Apr 14 09:10   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Falkirk Bairn

www.scotsman.com/news/two-held-over-pipeline-oil-theft-1-3383050 Pipeline from Esso Refinery to the Midlands stolen and fuel stored in a warehouse. Pipeline fuel theft is common in many 3rd world producing countries - a first in the UK? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 08:37   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Cliff Pope

Strange absense of comment from the usual forumites. I wonder how one would go about extracting fuel from a 9" pipe, presumably under pressure? Hacksaw through it and insert a T-compression joint and tap, hoping not to lose too much and attract attention? Drill a small hole and stuff a bit of rubber tube in? Use one of those clever devices for plumbing in a washing machine without having to turn the water off? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 09:25   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Fenlander

Gas pipelines were part of my early career... and I was about at the tail end of the old metallic pipes which were largely replaced with plastic in towns/villages from the 1970s onwards. Anyway live drilling/tapping gear was used every day for connecting customer's services and it's not impossible that one of these old bits of kit could be used to make a 3/4" or 1" connection to a fuel pipeline with little fuss or spillage. Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 23 Apr 14 at 09:25 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 09:31   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Fenlander

This video shows how... www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy3ZKjyydk4 A valved tee is inserted in the same way as that plug. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 12:02   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Armel Coussine

In the Niger delta, a swampy area grossly polluted in places by carelessly handled crude oil, and where there is at least one refinery, it is not unknown for a petrol - yes, petrol! - pipe to be pierced and for locals, whose old way of life has been trashed by the oil boom, to collect the fuel in buckets, basins, saucepans and so on. Sometimes one of them would insouciantly light a cigarette and after the 200ft flames had died down there would be an unknown number of barbecued villagers. It's happened at least twice, perhaps many times as things don't always get properly reported. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 12:42   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

e.g. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-185648/105-dead-Nigeria-fuel-pipe-blast.html Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 12:48   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Armel Coussine

Thanks FMR... makes your blood run paradoxically cold eh? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 12:52   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

I remember the days years ago when the sight of two old wires amateurishly twisted onto overhead lines and running down into a cardboard shack for two used to worry me. I've got rather used to it now. I still find the satellite dish wedged on top of the shack a little surprising though. Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 23 Apr 14 at 12:53 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 14:11   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Armel Coussine

>> I still find the satellite dish wedged on top of the shack a little surprising though. Why? I quote: 'Dem a shoot dem a loot dem a wail in Shanty Town! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 14:25   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

>>Why? Surprising priorities, that's all. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 17:56   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Armel Coussine

>> Surprising priorities Roof of sorts over head, enough food to keep body and soul together, entertainment in the form of 500 porn channels and movie channels and thick-ear TV series... perhaps the entertainment comes before the food even. Poor deprived people probably enjoy it more than you or I do. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 23 Apr 14 20:52   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Shiny

The pipe is used to send all kinds of fuel to the terminal, not just diesel. The batches of fuel are seperated by slugs of naphtha and is sent into the correct tanks at the terminal by the controling systems. The batches are huge, so the relatively small amount of naptha needed that gets mixed in makes no difference to the spec. I wonder how the theives knew when to open their taps? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 08:05   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Cliff Pope

Fascinating insight there S-T. I'd never have imagined that it could work like that. Almost like an optic fibre, with different messages down the same pipe. I realise it's sequential, not actually in separate streams at the same time, but who knows, anything might be possible. Perhaps then the fantasy delusion that different energy providers send their own electricity down the wires to the particular subscribing customers might really be true too :) Perhaps the thieves just use readily-available probes to sense when a stream of petrol say is coming through? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 10:13   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Bromptonaut

I suspect the authorities have been aware of this risk for a while. A map of the major pipelines is here: www.bpa.co.uk/experience/what-we-operate/ The Blisworth pumping station is near me and I pass it quite often on one of the back routes into town. It's recently acquired massive coils of razor wire all round and new multi camera CCTV. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 11:14   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Manatee

You learn something every day. I can't imagine why, but I thought the Point of Ayr was near Ayr. Last edited by: Manatee on Thu 24 Apr 14 at 11:14 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 11:40   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - rtj70

I always knew it was in north Wales because of the colliery that was there. Isn't Ayre in Scotland spelt with an E on the end? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 11:42   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - neiltoo

Northernmost point on the Isle of Man is Point of Ayre as well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 11:43   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Manatee

>>Isn't Ayre in Scotland spelt with an E on the end? No. Not the toon near Prestwick anyway. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 11:45   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Alanovich

W'ham ne'er a toon surpasses fae honest men and bonnie lasses. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 12:31   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

No, its Ayr. [no 'e'] I used to work there for DEC. About a billion years ago. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 13:18   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Crankcase

>> I used to work there for DEC. About a billion years ago. About the time the events in "The Soul of a New Machine" take place perhaps? I know that's Data General but they were competing with the new VAX, or trying to... That's a book I've read many times over the years, as it's excellent. Along with The Cuckoo's Egg, of course, and the wonderful Barbarians at the Gate. Sorry, unnecessary thread drift. As you were. Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 24 Apr 14 at 13:18 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 13:24   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

It is a good book. I was there a couple of years after. Amongst other things I worked for Special Systems and installed WAS* on ships & submarines. The story of Digital Equipment is a lesson in everything you could possibly want to know about how not to manage a large technology company. I've got an excellent (and I consider reasonably accurate) article on that demise somewhere. I'll try and dig it out if you're interested? *WAS = Weapons Assessment System. I'd tell you the details but then ON says I'd have to shoot myself. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 13:40   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Crankcase

Certainly am interested myself, yes. Got some idea of the nightmare of imploding tech companies when an old mate of mine, who does a similar thing to you now, I guess, was some big cheese working for Sun Microsystems as it started to set. He got out none too soon. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 13:51   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

Found it. Drop me an e-mail [address in my profile] Crankcase, and I'll send it right back. Actually there are two; One which helps understand the culture within the company and represents many of the company's problems and the other which is, in my opinion, a valid recounting and explanation of what went wrong. EDIT: In fact, on re-reading, whilst I do not agree with every word, the second is a darn good document. Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 24 Apr 14 at 13:52 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 13:57   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Crankcase

Email dropped. Ta. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 24 Apr 14 14:15   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

& replied. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 15:15   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

Did you read them? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 15:28   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Crankcase

>> Did you read them? Assuming that's aimed at me, I'll reply in email if I may? But it won't be until next week now I'm afraid. Yes, read and enjoyed though. Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 25 Apr 14 at 15:28 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 15:32   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - No FM2R

Sorry, yes it was aimed at you. I'm glad you enjoyed them and I look forward to your email. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 15:43   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Crankcase

Will do. Need to get my head round some of the buzzwords and apparent contradictions in there first! But not fair to discuss here really as nobody else has a clue about what we're talking about, or of course the midget porn. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 15:20   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - WillDeBeest

... I thought the Point of Ayr was near Ayr. Just as people assume Watford Gap is near Watford. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 25 Apr 14 17:57   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - bathtub tom

>>Just as people assume Watford Gap is near Watford. It is, just not the Watford they assumed. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 25 Apr 14 18:11   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Manatee

Even fewer know what the Watford Gap is, but I'm sure that doesn't include bt and Bromp:) Can't get Lonnie Donegan out of my head now...some will make the connection. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 25 Apr 14 19:00   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - CGNorwich

>> >> Can't get Lonnie Donegan out of my head now...some will make the connection. >> Think you've wandered off into the Appalachians. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 25 Apr 14 19:24   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Manatee

>> Think you've wandered off into the Appalachians. Yup. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 20:22   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Bromptonaut

>> Even fewer know what the Watford Gap is, but I'm sure that doesn't include bt >> and Bromp:) Indeedy! Nearest we have to a pass or hause hereabouts Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 25 Apr 14 at 20:23 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 18:04   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Slidingpillar

And that the North starts at Scratchwood Services (now London Gateway). Trivia: 12 miles away, the guns at HMS Belfast are trained and elevated on the services, although they're not loaded or serviceable any more. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 25 Apr 14 20:27   Stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - MD

Neither are the services. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Sat 9 Aug 14 16:39   More stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Falkirk Bairn

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-28723670 30.000litres per day for months =£8.3m Hole tapped in pipeline from Esso Southampton to Essex. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 9 Aug 14 17:18   More stolen fuel from Southampton pipeline! - Manatee

A Kent Police spokesman added: "Initial indications are that this was a well-organised crime, employing highly specialist techniques to siphon fuel from pipelines which operate at very high pressure." If it was at very high pressure they wouldn't need to siphon it. "Well organised". Very good :) I wonder if they knew when the different fuels were coming? Or did they have kit clever enough to switch it to the right tanks when it changed over? Last edited by: Manatee on Sat 9 Aug 14 at 17:19 Reply to this message | Report message