August 13, 2017
Viva Energy’s Geelong Refinery Open Day has been dubbed a huge success with 2000 people attending the event to learn how the facility helps keep Victoria moving.
Refinery General Manager, Thys Heyns, said he was thrilled with the turnout and that he enjoyed playing host to the large crowd.
“This is the third refinery that I’ve run around the world and I can honestly say it was the best event that I’ve had the pleasure of hosting,” said Thys.
“It was a wonderful atmosphere and the refinery team particularly enjoyed taking the community through all aspects of our operation from how crude oil is imported via Geelong Port through to the various refining process and how we get fuel and other products out to customers,” he said.
“They also learnt a lot more about potential career opportunities, including apprenticeships, as well as our stringent safety and environmental standards.
“Our wonderful community partners and many of our local contractors also participated including headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Very Special Kids and the Geelong Cats Next Gen Academy program.
“Racing legend, Dick Johnson, and the Shell V-Power Racing Team drivers were a hit, as was Geelong Cats superstar Andrew Mackie who used the opportunity to announce his ambassadorship for our new Club Legends Awards.
“It was a delight to see so many families enjoying the entertainment as well as gaining an appreciation for what a large and important contribution we make to the Geelong, Victorian and Australian economies.
“We are proud to be a part of the Geelong community and we want to continue to increase awareness of what the refinery does so we do hope to open the refinery gates again in the future.”
About Geelong Refinery
Built in 1954, the Geelong Refinery has been an integral part of the Geelong community for more than 60-years. It is a key driver of Victoria’s economy, supplying more than half of the State’s fuel requirements, employing about 700 people and spending more than $200 million each year in wages and services.
Situated on 120 hectares of land adjacent to Coria Bay, the refinery has direct access to Geelong Port, which it is a major user of. It also operates two fuel pipelines to deliver fuel to Melbourne from where the majority of deliveries to customers are made.
The Geelong Refinery has a capacity to refine 120,000 barrels of oil per day to produce petrol, diesel, jet fuel, bitumen, LPG, propylene, solvents, avgas and marine fuel oil. Crude oils and feedstock for the refinery come from a variety of sources including locally from Bass Strait, the Otway’s and the Cooper Basin, as well as internationally from Asia, the Middle East and occasionally West Africa.
Fuels manufactured at Geelong can be bought through the Shell Coles Express service station network as well as Shell and Liberty branded service stations. Low aromatic fuel is also produced at the refinery in support of the federal government’s petrol sniffing prevention program.
Recycling practices at the Geelong Refinery are world class. Waste water is treated and reused within the refinery, hydrocarbon waste is converted to compost and spent catalyst used in the refining process is sent interstate and used in the manufacture of cement.
To ensure Geelong Refinery’s international competiveness and sustainability, $350 million is being invested into the refinery over a five-year period. This investment includes projects aimed at improving reliability as well as growth – including two major maintenance projects and the building of a new 100ML crude tank which is nearing completion.
A sustainable refinery is good news for current employees, future employment opportunities, apprentices, local Geelong communities and the Australian economy.