Oil Tanker Sails Away After Six Years Moored In Loch Long

Christopher Brindle A large oil tanker sails away from the camera. The ship is black and red with green painted decks — Australis left the Loch Long on Wednesday after six years moored on Loch Long

A huge oil tanker moored in a Scottish loch for six years has finally sailed away.

Australis had been berthed at the small Finnart oil terminal on Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, and used for fuel storage since March 2019.

The facility is earmarked for closure as a consequence of the shutting down of the Grangemouth refinery which is linked to Finnart via pipeline.

A previous plan to convert the Loch Long refinery for diesel import has been abandoned, and about 20 jobs will be lost at the site.

Australis was escorted by tugs as it made its way down the Firth of Clyde

Christopher Brindle A large oil tanker sails away from the camera. The ship is black and red with green painted decks. Two tugs can be seen behind and to the rear of the tanker — Australis was escorted by tugs as it made its way down the Firth of Clyde

Photographers took advantage of the sunny weather to capture the 330-metre (1,083ft) vessel making its way down the Firth of Clyde.

The giant ship has been sold and is currently bound for Falmouth in Cornwall. It is understood it will then move on to the Middle East.

The Finnart terminal, which takes its name from a nearby country mansion, was built by the US Navy during World War Two, providing a deep water site to bring fuel ashore, out of range of the Luftwaffe.

Oil was transported to Scotland’s oil refinery at Grangemouth via a pipeline.

After the war the Finnart terminal passed to the British Petroleum Oil Company and a more direct pipeline was constructed in the 1950s.

Another pipeline was later built to take finished products in the other direction, to Finnart for export to Northern Ireland.

The import of crude oil reached a peak in the 1970s, before North Sea oil began coming onshore in quantity.

The Finnart site is currently owned by Petroineos, joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina.

Grangemouth future

Meanwhile the Scottish government says a long-awaited report assessing the future of the Grangemouth refinery site is expected to be published next week.

Project Willow – which is being produced jointly with the UK government – was due to be published by the end of last month.

Aladair Allan, a junior energy minister in the Scottish government, said they were working to finalise the details.

The report will look at potential future uses for the site which could keep jobs in the area.

The refinery is set to close in the coming months which will put 400 roles at risk.

Allan also urged owners Petroineos to to “explore all possible opportunities” for moving staff to other parts of the firm rather than making them redundant.

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