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Once or twice a week, a test siren rings out from Stanlow Oil Refinery. A regular reminder of a vast, hazardous industrial area on their doorsteps. For such a huge petrochemical site, that’s been there so long, accidents are rare. But historic events highlight the danger to workers, people living nearby, and the emergency services who risk their lives to prevent potential disasters.

In this episode we’ll take you to a scene of chaos at Stanlow, as a fire breaks out in one of the industries next door to the refinery, threatening to spread to a tank farm nearby. A violent explosion inside the refinery itself threatens night workers, with the fallout spreading to local villages. And one local resident talks about constant uncertainty in the air..

Writer and Producer - George Powell
Senior Producer – Louise Clarke
Editor – Tara McDermott
Technical Producer – Craig Boardman
Artwork – Ellie Walmsley
Music – Joshua Leary
Black Gold is a Long Form Audio production for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Sounds Audio Lab
Commissioning Editor – Khaliq Meer