Residents witnessed large flames at Stanlow Oil Refinery due to maintenance work, causing visible flaring across the region.
The flames are part of a process called flaring. It burns off refinery gases in a controlled way. You can see it from the top of the flare stack.
People in Ellesmere Port, Chester, and even Wrexham noticed the flames. One person from Wrexham said they saw a bright yellow glow in the sky around 11 PM.
They went to their garden and saw huge flames shooting up. They mentioned it was the tallest flame they had ever seen. The night was clear and calm, so the flames went straight up.
The flaring continued into the morning. A letter sent to residents explained the shutdown process. It mentioned a slight increase in flaring during the first two weeks.
The letter, from Jon Barden, the Chief Operating Officer, informed neighbors about a major turnaround event starting in January 2025. This event will last about nine weeks and involve significant maintenance and new equipment.
The letter also noted that there would be increased construction activity and some noise, mostly between 8 AM and 6:30 PM. They aim to minimize disruption to nearby communities.
During the first two weeks, residents might notice more flaring as units are taken offline. There may also be increased flaring when the units come back online in March 2025.
The letter mentioned that more contractors would be on-site, which could lead to heavier traffic on main roads like the A5117, Pool Lane, and Oil Sites Road.
For any concerns, the complex’s security control center is available 24/7 at 0151 350 4545.
