Milford Haven oil refinery for sale as owners seek to exit the business

The American owners of a Milford Haven refinery have decided to commence a sale process as they prepare to exit the refining business.

US-based Murphy Oil will also dispose of its plants in Wisconsin and Louisiana, as well as its British petrol station network Murco.

Opened in 1973, the refinery has always been a major employer in the area, and currently has 370 employees.

Murphy Oil’s division Murco has owned the plant since 2007. It is expected that a sale of the refinery will complete early next year.

The Milford Haven plant is capable of processing over 5 million tonnes of crude oil per year. It also makes propane and butane, usually used for cooking, kerosene for aircraft fuel and fuel oil for ships.

John Allen-Mirehouse, the Pembrokeshire council deputy leader, said, “Obviously the announcement today by the Murphy Oil Corporation is of great concern to the authority, but it is worth noting that of the nine oil refineries in the United Kingdom, six of them are currently for sale.”

“If all the refineries in the UK were to close, the national UK government would have a major strategic problem over the security of the country’s oil supplies.”

Separately, Chevron announced in March that it is seeking a buyer for its refinery in Pembrokeshire, which has about 1,400 staff.

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