While much of the focus on Australia’s decommissioning efforts has been concentrated offshore, Esso Australia is quietly progressing work onshore at its Longford plant in southeastern Victoria.
The facility is a major natural gas and crude oil site that has long processed vital resources from the Bass Strait to supply the bulk of Victoria's domestic gas demand.
In a 9 June statement posted to the ExxonMobil Australia and New Zealand LinkedIn page, Longford Plant Manager Clinton Gentle highlighted how decommissioning work is taking place while his team continues to provide much-needed gas to the domestic market.
“For more than 50 years, the Bass Strait assets have played an important role in supplying energy to Australia,” he said.
“As some of these facilities reach the end of their working life, we’re now preparing for the next phase, including the removal of offshore platforms from 2027 as part of Australia’s largest decommissioning project.”
The focus throughout this process is on responsible decommissioning, he added.
Decommissioning work is already well advanced offshore.
The company and its partners have completed close to $3bn of early works, including the permanent plug and abandonment of over 200 wells.
This involved a range of specialised offshore vessels and rigs, drawing on expertise from similar projects in other parts of the world, like Canada, the USA and the North Sea.
At the same time, Esso Australia is also progressing decommissioning onshore at Longford.
“Longford has been at the centre of Gippsland Basin operations for decades, and as parts of the facility reach the end of their role, our teams have been carefully working through the decommissioning process,” said Gentle.
“This includes safely decontaminating equipment, dismantling infrastructure that was used to process crude oil and preparing areas for long-term retirement, all in line with our regulatory obligations.”
The scale of the task is “significant,” he added, demanding a strong focus on safety, precision and discipline.
“I’m proud of how our people have approached this work and the standard they’ve set.”
While some parts of its local operations are winding down, the company is also continuing to invest in the future of Gippsland Basin gas, he noted.
The Gippsland Basin Joint Venture has commenced drilling for the Turrum Phase 3 project, a $350mn investment that will support domestic gas supply.
This is expected to come online ahead of winter 2027 and will help meet ongoing demand across south east Australia.
Taken together, it reflects a balanced approach, according to Gentle.
“We’re safely retiring infrastructure that has reached the end of its life, while continuing to invest in projects that support reliable energy supply and local jobs.”
