Deans Oil Works

The West Lothian Oil Company Ltd was formed in 1883 to construct a crude oil works at Deans which would serve an existing refinery owned by the company at Braehead (Benhar) near Fauldhouse. The enterprise was not successful and discussion at Shareholder's Meetings were of unsound management, defective retorts and equipment, and dubious practice by Directors. When the Company failed in 1891, the liquidator noted: "that the Company spent large sums of money, sinking pits, and providing machinery etc. for shale oil workings at Boghall and erecting works for the distillation of shale and manufacturing of crude oil. The operations of the Company had been unsuccessful and the Company had incurred large losses." The West Lothian Oil Company Ltd built housing for its workforce at Deans.

After a period of disuse, the site and mineral leases were acquired by the Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd who constructed a new crude oil works on the site and developed new mines to the south and east of the works (Deans No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 & No. 7). The company also constructed a substantial new village at Livingston Station to house its workforce, served with electrical power from the works. Crude oil was transported to Pumpherston for refining. Production continued until c.1948, and most of the site cleared other than the office block and the 1930's bath-house which survived into the 1990's.

In the early 1950's the oil works site was taken over by the Royal Engineers who constructed a range of steel framed storage buildings that remain in use (2013) as commercial storage units. The Deans bing was cleared during the late 1970's, much of the blaes being transported by rail to the Renfrewshire area for use in construction of the M8.

25" OS map c.1914., courtesy National Library of Scotland

Rateable value by year

Date	Rateable Value	Owner	Occupier	Notes
1884	£852	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	Deans Row: 16 houses
1885	£1230	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1886	£1625	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1887-88	£1590	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1889	£1200	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1890	£2000	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1891	£1750	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd	West Lothian Oil Company Ltd
1892	£1750	Capt. James H Cowan, Royal Engineers	Capt. James H Cowan, Royal Engineers
1893-94	£50	Capt. James H Cowan, Royal Engineers	Capt. James H Cowan, Royal Engineers	Not in Operation
1895	£300	William Fraser	William Fraser	Not in Operation
1896	£300	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Not in Operation
1897-1900	£1700	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Not in Operation
1901	£4500	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1902	£2150	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1903	£2300	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1904-15	£3300	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1916-23	£4000	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1924-36	£4020	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Ammonia Works & Crude Oil
1937	£3938	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1938	£3978	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1939-40	£4058	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1941-42	£4115	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1943-47	£3880	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1948	£200	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1949	£130	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1950-53	£50	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd
1954	£25	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd	Purchased by War Dept. (Royal Engineers)
1955	£75
1956	--
				NO FURTHER ENTRIES

Location map

Detailed maps

6" OS map c.1895, annotated to show maximum extent of spent shale bing.

1" OS map c.1904, annotated to show mines and railways associated with West Lothian Oil Company Ltd operations.

1" OS map c.1904, annotated to show mines and railways associated with Pumpherston Oil Company Ltd operations.

Archive images

See full record, LVSAV1998.010.004

Archive images - demolition

See full record, LVSAV1998.038.001

See full record, LVSAV1998.038.002

See full record, LVSAV1998.038.005

See full record, LVSAV1998.038.004

Recent images

View from 55.897150, -3568695 looking West toward building erected by the army c. 1952. Looking west. October 2010.

View from 55.897365, - 3570433; the entrance to Racing Karts, go-cart track within the former army buildings. Looking north. October 2010.

Newspaper references

BATHS FOR OIL WORKERS AT LIVINGSTONE

A well-equipped set of baths was opened by Scottish Oils (Ltd.) at Deans Oil Works, Livingstone yesterday for the benefit of their workers. There are over 200 lockers where the workmen leave their dirty clothes to be dried. Spray baths with hot and cold water are provided. Boot cleaning machines have been installed, and there is a canteen where the workmen may make tea. A well-fitted ambulance room where accident cases may be treated forms part of the buildings.

Scotsman, 22nd July 1937

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Additional resources

Oral history transcript: Mr Joe Morrison

• 143521 - Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd. Secretary of State for War Department - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the War Department - Oil Works at Livingston. Dated 20th April 1955, this records the sale to the War Department of two pieces of land at Livingston Station for £7500. A 1:2500 scale map (dated November 1953) accompanies this document. Titled Livingston, it was prepared by the Lands Branch–H.Q. Scottish Command–Edinburgh. It shows the location of the two pieces of land, one in pink (7.616 acres), the other in green (1.138 acres) and both bordered in red.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Photo - William and Janet Morrison - Black and white photograph of William and Janet Morrison, son and daughter of Joseph Morrison, at the door of 23 Main Street, Livingston Station c. 1925.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Photo - Joseph Morrison's Garden - Black and white photograph of Joseph Morrison's garden at 23 Main Street, Livingston Station, North Street and Mid Street in the background.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Postcard - Deans Crude Oil Works - Black and white photographic postcard of Deans Crude Oil Works, Livingston Station, 4217, c. 1935.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Photo - Interior of the Powerhouse, Deans Crude Oil Works - Black and white photograph of the interior of the powerhouse showing the Siemens electricity generator at Deans Crude Oil Works with John Roberts, son of works manager, Edward Roberts, c. 1910.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Photo - Stirling Boilers at Deans Crude Oil Works - Black and white photograph of the self feeding Stirling Boilers at Deans Crude Oil Works with boilermen Thomas Kaye and James O'Hara, c. 1910.
  
• LVSAV1998.010 - Photo - Joseph Morrison outside the boiler house - Black and white photograph of Joseph Morrison outside the boiler house at Deans Crude Oil Works, c. 1910.