Lytton Oil Refinery is an oil refinery in the Brisbane suburb of Lytton in Queensland, Australia. It is owned and operated by Ampol. It has a capacity of 6.5 billion litres of crude oil per year.[1] The facility employs 550 people.[2]
  Location of | |
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | Queensland |
| City | Brisbane |
| Coordinates | 27°24′55″S 153°09′27″E / 27.4154°S 153.1575°E |
| Refinery details | |
| Operator | Ampol |
| Owner(s) | Ampol |
| Commissioned | 1965 |
| Capacity | 6.5 billion litres per year |
| No. of employees | 550 |
History edit
Lytton refinery started operation in 1965. It was established by Ampol on the site of the former Fort Lytton.[3] It was almost directly across the Brisbane River from Bulwer Island where Amoco was also building the Bulwer Island Refinery.[4]
Moonie pipeline edit
The Lytton refinery was built at the end of a 191 miles (307 km) pipeline from the Moonie oilfield.[5] It was the first major oil or gas pipeline in Australia. Construction started in June 1963 and it was officially opened in May 1964. It was 10 inches (250 mm) diameter. The pipeline itself cost A£4,500,000.[6] Following a leak from the pipeline in the Brisbane suburb of Algester, the pipeline was closed in July 2007.[7]
Fuel security edit
In 2021, Lytton was one of only two oil refineries (with the Geelong Oil Refinery) remaining in Australia.[8] The refinery operated at a loss of $145 million in 2020.[9]
Twenty years earlier, Australia had eight operating oil refineries. As they have gradually been closed by the companies that operate them, there has been concern as to whether the Australian government should act to maintain a domestic refining capability.[10] At the beginning of 2021, the government offered one cent per litre of refined transport fuel produced in Australia provided that the refinery owner agrees to keep it operating for the duration of the program.[11] Lytton refinery did not immediately accept this package while Ampol undertook a review.[12] In May 2021 after the government increased the amount of state subsidies, Ampol accepted their offer and committed to ongoing refinery operations until at least 2027.[13]
Transition edit
The company plans to move to net zero emissions by 2040 for scopes 1 and 2. Ampol has plans to use the facility to produce green hydrogen.[2]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Australian oil refineries" (PDF). Factsheet. Australian Institute of Petroleum. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ a b McCarthy, John (20 May 2021). "Days after $1b Lytton refinery deal, Ampol unveils plan for hydrogen, zero emissions". InQueensland. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "PLAN OF £21m. REFINERY". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10, 597. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 July 1963. p. 16. Retrieved 13 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "In Queensland This Week WORK BEGINS ON OIL REFINERY SITE". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10, 443. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 January 1963. p. 2. Retrieved 13 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Oil: Moonie Pipeline Reaches Refinery Site (newsreel). British Pathé. 1963. Retrieved 13 March 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The Moonie Oil Pipeline -1963". The Australian Pipeliner. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Doman, Matthew; Nairn, Andrew (24 April 2008). "Closure of the Moonie to Brisbane Oil Pipeline" (Press release). Santos Limited. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Clayton, Rachel (24 February 2021). "Geelong's Viva Energy records $95 million loss for oil refinery". ABC News. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Macdonald-Smith, Angela (14 January 2021). "Ampol refinery loss mounts as Couche-Tard looks elsewhere". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Laidlaw, Hunter (17 December 2020). "Australian oil refineries and fuel security". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ "Government priorities". Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Deare, Steven (22 February 2021). "Ampol wants new COVID approach after loss". 7 News. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ "Subsidy hike to keep Australia's Lytton refinery open". Argus Media. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.