Thieves tap UK pipeline, steal 30,000 litres of fuel - paper

[dipsydoodle]

(Reuters) - UK police are hunting a gang of thieves who are thought to have tapped into an underground oil pipeline, stealing thousands of litres of fuel, a newspaper reported on Monday.

More than 30,000 litres of diesel may have been taken from the pipeline running from Esso's Fawley Refinery, the Daily Echo reported. That would be worth about 41,000 pounds ($70,000) at pump prices.

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Police were guarding the spot in West Wellow, Hampshire, southern England, where the thieves are thought to have tapped into the 14-inch pipeline, the paper reported. The fuel is being stored safely and engineers from the refinery are working to retrieve it, it said, citing police.

The pipeline, known as the Midline Pipeline and owned by Esso, is one of the UK's main underground pipelines that supply fuel including gas, diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/21/uk-oil-theft-idUKBREA3K0FD20140421

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. 2 men arrested:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11161474.UPDATED__Men_arrested_in_connection_with_pipeline_fuel_theft/?ref=var_0

Because of its enormity, the theft is believed to have been taken place over a period of time in a rented unit in East Wellow near Romsey.

The alarm was raised after the owner of the units made the discovery at 7.30pm on Thursday.
...
The Daily Echo understands that more than 30,000 litres of fuel has been siphoned and loaded into tanks.

Hampshire police said the fuel is being stored safely and that engineers from the Esso Refinery at Fawley were working to “retrieve it”.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11160817.Hunt_for_Hampshire_fuel_thieves/

30,000 litres is roughly one full size road tanker.

[dipsydoodle]

2. I was thinking of you when I posted that.

If you need any help with bail let me know.

[mackerel]

3. Is there a market for this sort of thing? How would it work?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Sell it to truck operators, I'd imagine (nt)

[mackerel]

5. I guess that would work since there is a lower flash point in diesel.