How do you propose to boycott Shell petrol? The branding of a petrol station has nothing to do with the refinery the fuel comes from. Do you think that all Shell branded stations throught the country are supplied from the Shell refinery at Stanlow? And all BP branded stations from Grangemouth?

Refined fuel is all the same, and road tankers supplying petrol stations collect fuel from the nearest depot. Only the additives differ, and they are mixed in as the tanker is filled. An interchange agreement between the big oil companies ensures that the correct company is paid for the fuel. The vast majority of fuel in Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and surounding counties is supplied by Shell from Stanlow.

There are also two different types of filling station - those operated by the oil companies and those which are privately owned, but which licence an oil company's branding. Boycotting the former will have an effect on the oil company's retail profits, but not necessarily on their upstream and refining profits. Boycotting the latter merely harms small businesses, many of which are only marginally profitable. The real losers are the minimum wage employees who are paid a pittance to work antisocial hours, dealing with antisocial members of the public and getting drive offs stopped from their wages. But then maybe losing a job like that isn't such a bad thing after all. If you must work in a petrol station, choose an oil co operated one - the wages and conditions are far better.

you seem to know so much about the oil industry i guess you must work for shell
boycotting shell branded stations in sufficient numbers will effect the brand whoevers petrol is actually in the pumps

Actually I left Shell a few years ago. I was involved with aviation fuel and didn't have much to do with mogas, but the distribution model is very well known. The cost and additional carbon involved in shipping fuels from the branded refinery would be immense, and the stuff is a commodity anyway.

Shell treats its employees extremely well and maintains very high standards of health and safety, but it is still an oil company and will be until alternative sources of energy become economically viable. Independent filling station staff on the other hand are poorly paid - the minimum wage is the norm, often drive offs are deducted; work long hours and have no training in health and safety and dangerous goods. Fuel retailing is very competative and the margins are squeezed to the bone.

You can't tell whose fuel you are buying without knowledge of the distribution networks - one day I might draw some maps, and even then it varies a bit at the edges. You can't tell an oil co owned station from an independent until you come to pay. Well I suppose you can - the independents tend to be a bit more scruffy. But does it matter? - whilst I only know shell in detail, I have no reason to think that standards are any lower in the other oil cos - the regulatory climate imposed by the government through the HSE is the same for all. All have dealings in countries with human rights problems, and have poorer standards in less regulated regimes, but that is really the fault of bad government. Who should decide on standards of health and safety - the oil cos by fiat, or governments on behalf of the people they represent.

You can only really penalise the oil cos by using less oil. We should be encouraging this - it means we'll be around for longer. For what it's worth, I have no doubts about the safety of the project you oppose, but if you want it stopped, you'll have to persuade the Irish Government.

mind you dont slip up
we know how frightened you are of a media you cant control
the thought clowns like you post straight away to attempt to weaken any action
its too obvious
and too late