ANOTHER firm has emerged as a possible buyer for Coryton oil refinery after fears grew 800 jobs could be lost.

It is understood a firm from outside the EU is looking to buy the plant, based off the Manorway in Stanford-le-Hope. as a going concern.

Labour’s Euro MP Richard Howitt, who has been trying to save the Thurrock refinery, met with the new bidder yesterday.

He said he could not reveal the name of the firm, but says he would lobby the Government to start talks over a potential takeover.

His meeting followed widespread reports that oil company Vitol, the front runner interested in buying the plant, had pulled out of the deal.

This led to concerns the refinery would stop production and become a storage terminal, effectively meaning 800 of the nearly 1,000 jobs at the plant, could go.

Mr Howitt said: “The situation is disheartening at the moment, but there is hope here.

“This company I have had talks with, which is not Vitol, has told me it wants to buy it as a going concern and would keep all the workers, which would be wonderful. I don’t want to say any more at the moment, or reveal who it is, but I’m hopeful this could happen.”

Several buyers have been rumoured to have their eye on Coryton since it’s Swiss parent company, Petroplus filed for insolvency in January with debts of $2.3billion.

Despite the uncertainty, workers at the refinery, which in its prime supplied 20 per cent of London’s petrol needs, have been working overtime over the past few weeks and have also recently received a long promised payrise.

Stephen Metcalfe, South Basildon and East Thurrock MP, said: “I don’t think speculating about who might be interested in buying the refinery, and who is not, is very helpful.

“The most important thing is everything that can be is done to either save the refinery or re-structure it.

“It must be terrible for the workers to not know what the future has in store, but at the same time I don’t think we should put pressure on the administrators to rush and broker a deal, in case it’s the wrong deal.”

Administrators PwC, set a deadline for a saviour to come forward and buy the plant, but this expired at midnight last Wednesday.

It is now scrambling to put together a longer-term deal, which would see the refinery sold as a going concern, restructured, or closed altogether.