Llandarcy Oil Refinery Records

Scope and Content

Journals of accounts 1919-1958; cash book 1919-1921; estate rentals 1922-1927; ledgers 1922-1937; 'Transfer Binders' (Accounts) 1921-1958.

Administrative / Biographical History

The records in this archive are from the Accounts Department of National Oil Refineries, Llandarcy. The oil refinery was sited at Llandarcy near Skewen [Sgiwen] by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Limited in 1921, opening in 1922. It was built in order to treat imported mineral crude oil. It was the first large commercial oil refinery to be established in Britain, although large scale operation did not occur until after 1945. Llandarcy was actually built as a model village in which to house a number of the refinery workers and for a number of years the refinery was also known as Skewen refinery. The distributing company of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Limited was the British Petroleum Company Limited. Prior to 1960 oil was imported through the docks at Swansea but in 1961 a pipeline from the refinery to a new terminal in Angle Bay, Pembrokeshire was built and most oil arrived at the refinery by that means. In 1985 the refinery at Llandarcy was restructured as a specialist refinery and the pipeline to it from Angle Bay in West Wales closed. The refinery ended up being a focus for a significant petro-chemical industry in the region.

Access Information

Accessible to all researchers by appointment. Please note that some collections contain sensitive information and access may be restricted.

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply

Geographical Names