Landscape in Oils

The huge infrastructure that underpins our modern way of life, with its reliance on motorised transport, is often taken for granted. But here we see in detail the staggering amount of planning, engineering skills and co-operation that goes into make it all possible. The construction of the Shell oil refinery on Teesmouth between 1964 and 1968 was a prodigious feat, as shown in this expertly made behind-the-scenes look at its construction.

This film was made by Newcastle film producers Turners, which started life as a chemist before its founder, Jack Turner, started selling cameras in 1932, and after the war making industrial and educational films through to 1995. The Shell Oil refinery on the south shore of the River Tees at Teesport was among five announced for construction in 1964, along with two others jointly developed and operated by Phillips and ICI on the north shore of Teesmouth. When announced, its initial cost was 19m. The refineries were built before the discovery of North Sea oil and gas in 1969 to meet the demand for petrol and other oil based products. The refinery ceased operations in 1989 and became a storage facility.