North Sea oil pipeline closure sparks fuel panic

GRANGEMOUTH, Scotland (AFP) – Britain on Sunday shut down a North Sea pipeline which supplies 40 percent of its oil and gas, sparking panic-buying of petrol after a strike at a major refinery.

The start of a two-day walkout by around 1,200 workers at the Grangemouth refinery, west of Edinburgh, in Scotland, forced the neighbouring Forties pipeline to close down at the same time, operator BP said.



The pipeline brings more than 700,000 barrels of crude oil ashore every day and supplies Britain and international markets. It cannot function without power and steam from Grangemouth.

The walk-out, organised by trade union Unite, is over a pensions row, and Grangemouth oil workers have taken out advertisements in Scottish newspapers to explain their position to the public in a bid to appeal for their support.

Staff and families held a demonstration Sunday outside the refinery, which experts have said could take weeks to get back to full operational capacity.

AFP