ExxonMobil Fined After “Preventable” Week of Flaring

ExxonMobil Chemical Ltd has been fined £176,000 by a Scottish court after pleading guilty to breaching its environmental permit during a sustained period of continuous flaring at the Mossmorran petrochemical complex in Fife.

The incident occurred in April 2019, when elevated flaring persisted for six consecutive days, prompting more than 900 public complaints - the highest number the regulator had received for any single event at the site.

According to the prosecution, the flaring episode was triggered by a cable failure in a steam-generating boiler, which forced the facility into fail-safe mode while other boilers were already offline for maintenance.

The regulator, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), described the event as “unacceptable and preventable,” citing serious deficiencies in maintenance scheduling and staff understanding of steam balance controls at the site. SEPA’s chief executive added: “The unprecedented number of complaints we have received is a clear message and it’s one that we have heard powerfully and clearly.”

On the community side, residents voiced strong dissatisfaction with the disruption. One local described the noise as being “like a jet engine taking off,” while a spokesperson for the community group Mossmorran Action Group said: “It took years for enforcement to catch up with a week-long flaring event that caused extreme noise and light pollution, sleepless nights, and genuine fear among residents who live beside the plant.”

ExxonMobil acknowledged the breach and accepted liability. In court documents, the company admitted it had failed to operate the Fife Ethylene Plant in accordance with its own standard procedures. The firm also indicated that it would invest in improved technology and monitoring at the site, including the installation of a fully-enclosed ground flare system designed to reduce elevated flaring by up to 98 per cent.

From a regulatory compliance perspective, the case highlights the importance of robust environmental management systems and the role of community-monitoring and engagement. SEPA noted that although air-quality monitoring during the incident showed no immediate breach of statutory objectives, the degree of disturbance to the local population was significant.

ExxonMobil, in its mitigation statement, claimed the plant’s operation of the flare system was intended to safely relieve pressure in compliance with industry standards and that the company was working “round the clock to bring operations back to normal.”

Regardless, the fine reaffirms the regulator’s expectation that major industrial operators maintain rigorous preventive maintenance regimes, full documentation of procedures, and swift corrective action when deviations occur.

As of the latest update, the Mossmorran complex has seen a series of upgrades, community monitoring initiatives and strengthened permit-conditions - including deeper involvement of local residents in designing noise and air-quality monitoring programs.

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