Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Petroleum-Storage Installations at Avonmouth and at Cardiff [1890] . . . .

It is found over a wide field, including India, Persia, Peru, Java, the shores of the Caspian, the United States, Canada and South America. The chief supply at present is obtained from Pennsylvania and the Caspian Sea. The increase of the shipments from Russia is very remarkable ; in 1883, 500 barrels were sent to this country, whilst in 1890 the supply was 787,529 barrels, or about 32,288,689 gallons per annum. During the same time the consignments from the United States increased from 53,000,000 gallons to 54,489,164 gallons per annum.

In this Paper it is proposed to give a description of two petroleum storage-installations, one erected at Avonmouth jointly by Mr. C. M. Jacobs, M. Inst .C.E., and the Author's firm ; the other coming under his professional notice, both of which are provided with improved machinery and arrangements that may be of interest to the Institution.

Avonmouth Installation.

These works were erected for the Bristol, West of England, and South Wales Petroleum and Storage Association. In the storage of so inflammable and dangerous a commodity as petroleum great care is required in the selection of a site which shall afford facilities for easy communication with the steamers and vessels bringing the oil, and at the same time be as isolated from the neighbouring property as possible, in order to avoid such disastrous occurrences as the fires at Antwerp and Rouen.

The site selected for these works (see Fig. 1, Plate 7) [Plate not available!] is situated on the banks of the Avon, about half a mile from the head of the Avonmouth Dock, being outside the ancient banks of the river, on what is known as the Outstays. It possesses on two sides deep water accommodation for barges or vessels, and on a third, railway connection with the main line from Avonmouth to Bristol. The site is leased from the Bristol Docks Corporation, and contains from 4 to 5 acres.

The first contract, which was let in July, 1889, was for the construction of a sea-bank, which was thrown up all round the site to a height of 6 or 7 feet, with the double object of shutting out the high spring-tides, and of confining the petroleum in case of the accidental bursting of a storage tank.