British Pipeline Agency

{{Short description|Joint venture between BP Oil UK and Shell UK}}

{{Infobox company

| type = Public limited company

| traded_as = BPA

| industry = Oil industry

| founded = 1969

| founder = BP and Shell-Mex

| hq_location = Hemel Hempstead UK

| revenue = £1,490,000

| revenue_year = 2020

| num_employees = 200

}}

British Pipeline Agency Ltd (BPA) is a joint venture, established in 1969,{{cite web|url=http://www.bpa.co.uk|title=Welcome to BPA|accessdate=5 March 2015}} between BP Oil UK and Shell UK.{{cite web |url=http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20050602.xml&Node=988 |title=Parliamentary Debates (Official Report - Unrevised) Dáil Éireann |date=2005-06-02 |publisher=Oireachtas |accessdate=2007-03-15}} The company operates the UK oil pipeline network of oil pipelines which transport petroleum products around the UK.

Operations

BPA replaced the pipeline operations group of Shell Mex & BP in the late 1960s and took over the role as the majority operator on the Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS).Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars - PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017 p116. {{ISBN|9780992855468}}

As originally conceived the pipeline system comprised 1,600 miles of pipelines carrying 7.25 million tons a year of light oils, or 470 million ton miles annually.{{Cite news |last=Callow |first=Clive |date=21 April 1969 |title=Shell-Mex sets up pipeline unit |pages=19 |work=The Times}}

GPA continued as the major operator of the GPSS under reimbursable and fully indemnified contracts until the 1990s when those contracts were ended and the GPSS was instead operated by a number of companies under competitively tendered term contracts. Tim Whittle: Fuelling the Wars - PLUTO and the Secret Pipeline Network 1936 to 2015 published 2017 p146. {{ISBN|9780992855468}}

The company

The BPA board comprises five directors, although the articles of association allows for up to ten.{{Cite web |title=Annual Report and Accounts 2020 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01228157/filing-history |access-date=22 December 2022}} One director acts as the chairman and one is the general manager. There is also a company secretary. The registered office is 5-7 Alexandra Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BS.

In 2020 the company made a pre-tax profit of £1,490,000.

BPA has nearly 200 staff.

See also

References