Picture this: BP in 2019
Sunsets, seas and shopping bags. We’ve selected some images of life at BP that stood out for us this year
Celestial sky over Angelin
In February, first gas flowed from BP's natural gas development in Trinidad. The newly-built Angelin natural gas platform and development, located 37 miles (60 kilometres) off the south-east coast of the country, was delivered on time and under budget.
Here’s the science bit
Our biofuels business in Brazil expanded this year into the world’s second-largest joint venture of its kind. Beyond the sugarcane fields, there’s another side to biofuels production, where analysts, shown here at the industrial lab at the Tropical Mill, in Goiás, check ethanol samples to ensure the quality of the sustainable liquid that is helping to fuel around 75% of the car fleet in Brazil.
Charging ahead
In 2019, BP Chargemaster did some swift business. It powered more than 50 million miles (80 million kilometres) of electric driving in the UK and plugged in new 150kW ultra-fast charging units on BP forecourts.
Unsung heroes
Not all superheroes wear capes. Some carry spanners. In India, Castrol has been celebrating the role of the mechanic, training and mobilizing some 200,000 ‘Super Mechanics’, building increased pride and respect for the profession that keeps the country moving.
Inspiring the next generation
Hundreds of young students visited our stand at New Scientist Live at London ExCeL in October – where, in addition to virtual reality headsets, a magic show and models of tankers and turbines, we installed a full-size BP Chargemaster EV unit. Here, Alexandre Piquet, senior development technologist in fuels product development, shows one young visitor how it works.
Power lines
Lightsource BP has been a leading light in solar this year. As well as powering businesses that make bricks and manufacture glass, Lightsource BP has found a way for its solar assets to provide a service at night and continue its expansion into the US, Australia, Brazil and Spain. Somehow, it also finds time to cut the grass. Here is the Lightsource BP operations and maintenance team in action at the solar farm in South Creake, Norfolk.
The PTA team
Operators take a break at the BP Zhuhai site in Guangdong Province, China, where they produce PTA – a raw material used in everything from drinks bottles to fabrics. The site was given an industry award in China this year in recognition of the energy efficiency of the plant.
Maiden voyage
We launched a fleet of state-of-the-art LNG vessels, each able to carry enough of the liquefied fuel to fill 96 Olympic swimming pools. At 173,400 cubic metres, they will be the largest LNG vessels BP Shipping has ever operated and will play a vital role in BP’s future, supporting the company’s shift to gas. Substantial growth in established markets, such as India, China, the US and Australia, along with new consumer markets, such as Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and Bangladesh, are significantly boosting demand for LNG.
The apprentice
Yolanda Ngarbingan is part of the Tangguh Technician Apprentice programme BP set up in Indonesia, near its LNG facility. The aim of the programme is to build an indigenous talent pipeline for technician roles, attracting and developing female apprentices. The scheme is for women in Papua to gain skills and a new source of income. “I can now help to support my family,” says Yolanda, pictured here with her young cousin.
Action stations
At our pioneering research and development centre in the UK, our engineers are on the hunt for zero W eight. It’s not the code name for a secret service spy, but an ultra-thin lubricant that can help to cut emissions by keeping car engines running smoothly. The mission to lower the viscosity of lubricants for passenger vehicles has already resulted in some significant carbon dioxide emissions savings, based on a reduction in the amount of fuel used. We estimate that our range of low-viscosity engine lubricants, when compared with the global market for engine oils for passenger vehicles, helped to avoid around 580,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent during 2018 from passenger cars. The hunt for more carbon savings continues...
Down on the farm
Cows grazing in the fields around the Cedar Creek 2 wind farm in Weld County, Colorado, US. When temperatures soar, the cows have been seen using the shadows cast by the turbines to keep cool. This had led to their nickname ‘smart cows’.
Where robots roam
What everyone wants for Christmas. A robotic tank cleaner, as used by our Whiting refinery team in the US this year. Great for cleaning up confined spaces.
Bags of kindness
BP staff have done some amazing things this year to support those in need. Our Air BP colleagues in Greece have been delivering essential goods to people in refugee camps in Athens. Their support started with school meals – even giving up their own lunch money to help fund it – and now extends to reading and writing initiatives helping 5,000 displaced children. Amir Ibrahim, East Med cluster manager, pictured here delivering supplies to a local camp, is one of the architects of the programme and says: “It’s not about what you do, it’s about who you lift up along the way.”
