Exol Customer’s Delivery Schedules Set To Get Even Better!

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Steve

Giving our customers the very best possible service has always been a top priority, the latest example of putting this drive into practice taking place in Rotherham.

Exol’s Sales Director Steve Dunn said “Exol Rotherham has recently commissioned a new weighbridge which will significantly improve customer deliveries. With the new weighbridge, single grades and collections can be sold by weight and trailers can be checked to avoid overweight loads”.

We’ll have more on this story with pictures very soon.

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North Sea investment at 30 year high

Posted on February 28, 2013 by News Team

Figures just released have shown that investment in the North Sea is at its highest level for  over 30 years. Projections suggest that this could mean an increase in production leading to an increase in jobs, billions of pounds for the economy and for the tax coffers. This can only mean good news for the country as not only will existing oil fields continue to be productive but new ones will be commissioned more quickly.

 

The Oil and Gas UK 2013 Activity Survey, published today, said there was £11.4 billion investment in the UK’s oil and gas sector in 2012, a figure which is expected to rise to at least £13 billion this year.

It revealed the number of projects submitted to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and given development approval almost doubled between 2011 and 2012, highlighting the potential for the UK’s offshore oil and gas sector to boost economic activity.

Malcolm Webb, Oil and Gas UK’s chief executive, said: “Here is some really good news for the UK.

“After two disappointing years brought about by tax uncertainty and consequent low investment, the UK continental shelf is now benefiting from record investment in new developments and in existing assets and infrastructure, the strongest for more than three decades.

“The recent introduction of targeted tax allowances to promote the development of a range of difficult projects, coupled with the Government’s ground-breaking commitment to provide certainty on decommissioning tax relief, has prompted global companies and independent businesses alike to take another look at the UK as an investment destination and resulted in a new wave of investment. Click here to continue

Further reading

North Sea oil enjoys surge in investment and higher profile

North Sea oil and gas investment at 30 year high

North Sea oil to give George Osborne £25bn boost

Posted in Oil Production News | Leave a comment

How Formula 1 pit stops work

Posted on February 28, 2013 by News Team

With the start of the new F1 season less than a month away, excitement is building. The new season begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 16th at Albert Park in Melbourne. As the cars become more technical, everyone on the team must be able to gel together in order to keep them working at their optimal level. When it comes to the pit stop during a race, the team must go like clockwork to do the necessary tyre changes, refuel and anything else that needs to be done. Here is how the pit stop works

Pre-programming: Once the strategists have agreed on when the driver is to make a pit stop and the intended duration of the next stint, the driver’s fuel rig is programmed to deliver the precise amount of fuel required.

Timing: The driver’s race engineer tells him over the radio, usually on the preceding lap, when to pit. At the same time, the team manager — listening in to all team radio communications — scrambles the driver’s pit crew, who gather their equipment and tires and move from the garage into the pit apron in front of the garage. The lollipop man — a crew member with a big carbon-fibre lollipop — stations himself in line with where the nose of the car will stop and holds out his lollipop directly in the driver’s path, giving him a clearly visible guide for his precise stopping place.

Pit lane entry: The driver enters the pit lane at full racing speed but brings the speed down to the pit lane speed limit of 80 km/h (60 km/h in the very tight pit lane of Monaco) before he crosses the white line that denotes the start of the speed limit area. As he crosses the line, he engages a pit lane speed limiter that electronically prevents the car from accelerating above the speed limit. Selecting the limiter automatically pops open the fuel filler flap. Click here to continue

Further reading

How Formula 1 crews overclock the pit stop

Pit stop perfection: Formula 1 teams reveal their technology

Overview – 2013 rule changes at a glance

Posted in Lubrication & Lubricants, motor car news | Leave a comment

Sharpening your chainsaw is relatively straightforward

Posted on February 21, 2013 by News Team

If you are new to owning a chainsaw, you should be aware that it does require a certain amount of regular maintenance. Regular cleaning and lubricating is essential but you also need to sharpen the blades as well. A proper maintenance schedule should be undertaken in order to ensure the power saw works properly and safely. Sharpening the blades on the chain is relatively easy to do and you can see how to do it in this handy guide -

  • 1

    Oil the chain every few times you use it. If you use a chain saw without properly lubricating it, the blade could go dull extremely fast.

  • 2

    Remove the chain from the chain saw carefully. In order to use a chain saw sharpener, the chain must be removed. Be sure to wear thick leather gloves to prevent injury. Even a dull chain saw can cut the skin.

    3

  • Dip the chain into a bucket filled with mineral spirits. With your gloved hands, rub a thick cloth over the chain to clean it and get rid of any grime and dirt.

    • Further information

    Keeping your chainsaw sharp and ready

    How to sharpen your chainsaw

    Basic chainsaw maintenance

    Posted in Lubrication & Lubricants | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

    OFT report into fuel prices disappoints many

    Posted on February 18, 2013 by News Team

    The long awaited report into fuel prices by the Office of Fair Trading has been released and it would appear that the results are disappointing to many. According to the report, the cost of petrol and diesel before tax, duty and VAT is among the cheapest in Europe and that the retailers are not profiteering.

    Rises in pump prices for petrol and diesel over the last 10 years have been caused largely by higher crude oil prices and increases in tax and duty and not a lack of competition, an OFT report has found.

    The evidence gathered by the OFT suggests that at national level competition is working well in the UK road fuel sector, although it has identified an absence of pricing information on motorways as a concern and does not rule out taking action in some local markets if there is persuasive evidence of anti-competitive behaviour.

    The OFT launched a call for information on the UK road fuel sector in September last year to determine whether there are competition problems that need to be addressed. In addition to assessing the information submitted to it, the OFT has undertaken detailed analysis of pricing data to investigate claims that the £47bn market is not working well.

    The OFT found that, pre-tax, the UK has some of the cheapest road fuel prices in Europe. In the 10 years between 2003 and 2012 pump prices increased from 76 pence per litre (ppl) to 136ppl for petrol, and from 78ppl to 142ppl for diesel, caused largely by an increase of nearly 24ppl in tax and duty and 33ppl in the cost of crude oil.

    A key feature of the road fuels sector over the past decade has been the growing influence of the big four supermarkets. They increased their share of road fuel sold in the UK from 29 per cent in 2004 to 39 per cent in 2012. The supermarkets’ high throughput per forecourt and greater buying power has allowed them to sell fuel more cheaply than other competitors. In August 2012, for example, the average price of petrol at supermarkets was 2ppl cheaper than the average at oil company owned sites and 4.3ppl cheaper than the average charged by independent dealers. Click here to continue

    Further reading

    Watchdogs revved up over OFT report on fuel prices

    Petrol prices: all pumped up

    OFT fuel pump price rises report slammed by RAC and AA

    Posted in Oil Prices | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

    Fracking could resume in Lancashire soon

    Posted on February 15, 2013 by News Team

    It would appear that everyone has an opinion where fracking is concerned. There are many points of view and a lot of information available for those who want it. Now that the temporary ban has been lifted in the United Kingdom, Cuadrilla are hoping to resume operations off the coast of Lancashire. The government have stated that fracking is safe if properly monitored and the hope is that by tapping into these reserves, a great deal of natural gas can be made available thus reducing dependency on imported gas.

    A SHALE gas firm is to seek permission to resume drilling at a Fylde site.

    Hundreds of letters have been sent out by Cuadrilla Resources informing residents near its Anna’s Road site in Westby the company now wants to start horizontal drilling.

    The process would be an extension to the existing vertical well shaft to explore further how much natural gas, trapped deep in shale rocks, can be recovered.

    The company was given permission in December to resume exploration after a break since May 2011 when two earth tremors led to activity being halted until an investigation could be carried out.

    The process, which involved shattering the shale rocks and injecting water to force out the gas, is a controversial one with environmentalists and some residents concerned it could lead to more tremors and pollution locally.

    Now Cuadrilla, which owns several sites across the Fylde coast, including Weeton and Singleton, has asked Lancashire County Council for planning permission to drill horizontally into the shale rocks deep beneath the surface.

    Cuadrilla CEO Francis Egan said: “The horizontal exploration well will help us to advance our exploration programme, enabling us to explore more of the shale formation and to better understand the consistency of the shale rock and the natural gas held within it. Click here to continue

    Further reading

    For and against: Fracking

    Lancashire shale gas could be worth billions

    IGas raises £23m to help fund fracking in North West England

     

    Posted in Environmental Issues, Oil Production News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

    Make sure your trailer is well maintained

    Posted on January 24, 2013 by News Team

    If you own a trailer, you need to make sure it is well maintained so that it works properly and is safe to use. There is a huge number of types of trailer which will give you the ability to to transport anything from show dogs to boats to motorcycles to furniture and just about anything else. Whatever you need to move around, you can be pretty sure that there is a trailer available to transport it. One part of your maintenance schedule that should not be neglected, is greasing and lubricating the moving parts. Keeping your trailer properly lubricated will ensure that it will reduce the effects of wear and tear and also help protect it from corrosion. Trailers are really useful pieces of equipment and can be very expensive to buy, so it makes sense to look after them well so that they can give you many years of high quality service.

    Dirt is your trailer’s biggest enemy. Once particles of dirt and dust get into your trailer’s moving parts, it can cause friction and break down. Keeping your trailer’s parts greased can help keep joints and axels moving smoothly. Before you take it back onto the road, do a little greasing first.

    Pretty much any part of your trailer that’s designed to move in some form or fashion or comes in contact with other parts should be kept lubricated to prevent corrosion and friction. Features like a winch, ball hitch, springs and tongue jack all require lubrication and you should keep them greased throughout the year. It’s a good idea to make lubricating your trailer’s moving parts an important part of your routine before each long trip.

    It’s important to keep all moving parts lubricated. One of the most important parts are the wheel bearings, the cylindrical rings that connect the wheel to the axle and allow for the wheel’s free rotation. Since the wheels are extremely important to your trailer’s ability to function well, it’s important to maintain your wheel bearings. And since the wheel bearings and axles are a metal-on-metal combination, it’s important to keep them well greased to prevent friction and potential wheel damage. Click here to continue

    Further reading

    Utility trailer maintenance

    Boat trailer maintenance

    Trailer checks before each journey

    Posted in Lubrication & Lubricants | Leave a comment

    It’s Aston Martin’s 100th birthday

    Posted on January 18, 2013 by News Team

    Aston Martin is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. It has a prestigious history and the iconic cars have been the favourites of celebrities and of course the movies. James Bond being arguably the most famous Aston Martin driver, with his first encounter with the DB5 in Goldfinger. Over the years the company has had several changes in ownership and is currently owned by a group of investors. It is still based and manufactured in the UK.

    Originally incorporated as Bamford & Martin, Aston Martin was founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford on 15 January 1913. The name was changed in 1914 after their early cars successfully campaigned the Aston Clinton hillclimb in Buckinghamshire.

    The Chelsea-based the company earned a reputation as providers of sports machines for racers and enthusiasts. 1926 saw the firm compete in the French Grand Prix, with two cars successfully completing the race.

    It was under David Brown, the British industrialist who acquired Aston Martin in 1947, that the firm produced some of its most well known cars. The first car to wear the DB monicker, the DB2, entered production the same year and was followed by the DB3, DB4 and DBR1 race car in 1957, after the company relocated to Newport Pagnell.

    In 1960 Aston Martin joined forces with Italian coachbuilder Zagato to create the DB4GT Zagato, a highly modified and exclusive car, which started a series of bespoke design creations that continues to this day.

    International brand awareness arguably didn’t arrive until 1963, when the newly lauched DB5 took a starring role alongside Sean Connery in Goldfinger. Since then Aston Martin cars have forever been linked with the film franchise, Click here to continue.

    Further reading

    Aston Martin centenary gallery

    Aston Martin kicks off centenary celebrations

    Aston Martin Vanquish 2014 pictures and eyes-on

    Posted in motor car news | Tagged | Leave a comment

    Oil rig grounded off Alaskan coast

    Posted on January 15, 2013 by News Team

    An oil rig has broken loose during a severe storm on New Year’s eve and is stuck on the Alaskan coast. The good news is that there does not seem to be any leakage of diesel, hydraulic fluid or other pollution at the moment. This will be a worrying time for all concerned in the salvage operation as well as the authorities who will not want to see a repeat of the damage that occurs following any oil spill. It is possible that we will see more of these incidents as the world weather continues to become more erratic and extreme. Safety must be of primary concern and all the major drilling companies take this very seriously. No doubt they will all have to adapt and strengthen their safety protocols to ensure incidents such as this are very rare.

    A Shell oil drilling rig grounded off an Alaska island since a New Years Eve storm has suffered damage from waves and flooding but has spilled none of the 155,000 gallons of fuel and other oil products aboard, officials managing the incident said on Thursday.

    Salvage experts were flown to the stricken Kulluk drillship on Wednesday and Thursday, which remains upright and stable not far from Kodiak Island, officials said at a news conference.

    “There is no evidence of sheening in the vicinity,” said Sean Churchfield, Royal Dutch Shell’s Alaska operations manager and the company’s emergency response coordinator.

    Salvage crews found some wave damage to the vessel’s topside and several breached hatches that caused water damage inside, he said. Generators had also been damaged and new ones may have to be moved in to provide power to move the vessel, he said. Click here to continue

    Further information

    Runaway Alaska oil rig dragged 2 tugs for miles

    Oil rig aground off Alaska is damaged but not leaking

    Posted in Environmental Issues, Oil Production News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

    Machining tools require the correct fluids or oils

    Posted on January 8, 2013 by News Team

    Machining tools require constant cooling and lubrication whilst in use and it is vital that the correct type of cutting fluid is used. This is because machining creates heat which must be dissipated before damage occurs. There are many different types of cutting fluid and you need to choose the one that best suits the equipment you have and the type of fluid that is recommended by the manufacturer. Don’t forget, we offer a great range of cutting oils and fluids which have been specially developed to cool, protect and lubricate machining tools.

    Unless you’re doing dry machining, you’ll use some kind of cutting oil or fluid in your machines. Cutting fluids and oils provide lubrication and cooling. They also help remove chips from the cutting area. Selecting from the hundreds of available cutting fluids can be a real challenge. Experts in the business offer some guidelines on selecting and maintaining this important part of the machining process. Usually, you’ll choose either a straight oil or a water-miscible (dilutable) fluid.

    Straight oils

    These are “mineral oils,” petroleum products made fromcrude oil. Straight oils offer the maximum amount of lubrication, and the least cooling capacity. Blended with additives to improve performance, these oils are often used in screw machines and in heavy cutting operations like broaching and gun drilling.

    Vegetable oils can be used instead of, or in addition to, mineral oils in many applications. They tend to have better lubricating qualities, and higher flash point, which is the temperature at which their vapor will ignite. In one cutting oil product line, for example, the flash points range from 200F to over 460F, with the vegetable oils on the higher end.

    Water-miscible fluids

    In addition to straight oils, three kinds of water-miscible cutting fluids are widely used. They give good tool life and help to produce a good surface finish, said Randy Templin, vice president, Blaser Swisslube, Goshen, N.Y., a manufacturer of cutting oils and fluids. When properly mixed, the fluid is mostly water, with a few percent of the fluid concentrate, which is made up of oil and/or synthetics, plus additives. Click to continue

    Further information

    Cutting fluid characteristics

    Cutting fluid types and uses

     

    Posted in Lubrication & Lubricants | Tagged , , | Leave a comment