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BP Archive

You may search the titles and desciptions of items the archive using the following search box.

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Browse a numerical list of all documents in the archive that are currently available as digital files.

Browse a thematic index of certain documents in the archive that are currently available as digital files.

Use the whole site search function, available on the home page and elsewhere, to undertake a Google search of all digital content on the site, including digitised material from the BP archive.

A Recognised Collection of National Importance

Home > Collections & Resources > BP Archive

Scottish oil company records

ledgers from the BP archive

Broxburn Oil Company ledgers

In 1919, shares in the five surviving Scottish shale oil companies - The Broxburn Oil Company Ltd, The Oakbank Oil Company Ltd, The Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd, James Ross & Company,and Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company Ltd - were acquired by a new company, Scottish Oils Ltd, a subsidiary of The Anglo-Persian Oil Company Ltd. The government-backed Anglo-Persian grew into the major multinational company now known as BP. Some of the Scottish shale companies remained active until recent years as operating companies for BP's activities in the North Sea and other areas.

For many years the records of Scottish Oils Ltd, the five companies that they took over, and some of their precursors, were stored at BP's Grangemouth Refinery. This archive included company minute books, ledgers, production statistics, legal agreements and a limited amount of general correspondence. Other paperwork was assembled at the former Pumpherston Refinery, which continued in operation as a detergent plant into the 1990's. This material recorded the operation of the refinery and the activities of the Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd.

In about 2000, BP transferred material from Grangemouth and Pumpherston to the safekeeping of the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh from where it was later moved to join the BP company archives, held at the University of Warwick. In 2011-12 BP returned the archive to Scotland under the custodianship of Almond Valley Heritage Trust. The archive remains the property of BP.

The BP archive now held by our museum is a specialist research resource. Most of the papers that have survived are records and legal documents that were retained because they had an ongoing relevance. Sadly very little in the way of plans, images and routine correspondence remain. For many undertaking historical research into the shale oil industry it is often better to explore other historical sources prior to considering the company records.

This document details many of the records once held at Grangemouth. Those highlighted in green are now held at the Museum.

Our programme of digitisation is well underway and many elements of the archive are now available online.

 

creative commons

We are happy to licence use of many images, extracts, and other resources of this website under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial licence (Scotland). See full copyright statement. Such material should be attributed to Almond Valley Heritage Trust and, where practical, a hyperlink provided to www.scottishshale.co.uk.

The Almond Valley Heritage Trust is a charity registered in Scotland No. SC13708, and a Scottish Company limited by guarantee, No. 089429, with Registered Office at Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Millfield, Livingson, West Lothian, EH54 7AR. Accredited Museum No.1151, holding a collection of National significance to Scotland.