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Consultation Hub

As an operator of some of Australia’s oldest oil and gas fields, Esso Australia is committed to identifying and actively engaging key stakeholders on our upcoming projects and activities. Our ongoing consultation plays an essential role in how we align our approach and ensure the essential work that we are undertaking meets the community’s needs and expectations.

Fill out our Esso Consultation Questionnaire to help us better understand your consultation needs

Consultation on offshore petroleum activities

We are currently proposing several onshore and offshore activities in the Bass Strait and are working with the communities we operate in to find solutions that balance environmental impacts and benefits with the needs of the community and regulatory requirements.

Consultation provides an opportunity for people or organisations who may be affected by petroleum activities to raise concerns, including objections or claims, about the potential impacts of the activity, to seek information about how they may be affected, and how the Esso Australia intends to manage the activity to ensure the associated impacts are as low as reasonably practicable and are acceptable.

Information provided by relevant persons in consultation may also help Esso Australia better understand the values and sensitivities of the environment and inform the evaluation of the potential impacts and risks associated with the activity and how to manage them appropriately.

All offshore petroleum activities must have an Environment Plan (EP) accepted by the respective Commonwealth, State or Territory Regulator before they can take place.

Activities with an onshore component such as Carbon Capture and Storage or State Water Environment Plans may require additional regulatory approvals such as referrals, permits and licenses accepted by relevant regulators.

ExxonMobil must consult with relevant persons about those activities when preparing each regulatory submission.

You may be a relevant person if you or your organisation have functions, interests, or activities that may be affected by an offshore petroleum activity proposed under an environment plan being prepared or already underway under an environment plan being revised.

The terms ‘functions’ ‘interests’ and ‘activities’ should be read broadly. You do not have to have a legal or financial interest that may be affected by an offshore petroleum activity to be a relevant person.

Interests that may be affected can include things like cultural and spiritual connections to the sea or interests in the protection of specific marine species. However, to be a relevant person your interests should be more than a general interest in the environment and/or offshore petroleum activities.

These methods of relevant person identification, verification and assessment are also applied to onshore activities to ensure Esso is approaching its consultation processes in a consistent manner across all its regulatory submissions.

For more information on what defines a relevant person, please read this brochure from NOPSEMA

worker walking down steps on offshore platform

South East Australia Carbon Capture and Storage Project

Esso Australia is undertaking front-end engineering design (FEED) studies to determine the potential for carbon capture and storage to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from multiple industries in the Gippsland Basin.

Consultation is ongoing.
Learn more about this storage hub
Decommissioning in the Bass Strait

We are currently managing the decline in Bass Strait oil and gas production by streamlining our operations, including decommissioning our non-producing offshore facilities.

Consultation is ongoing.
Learn more about decommissioning
Gudgeon-1 and Terakihi-1: Exploration well plug and abandonment

Esso Australia is planning to undertake an offshore activity to plug and abandon (P&A) two exploration wells – Gudgeon-1 and Terakihi-1 in the Gippsland Basin, approximately 85km off the Victorian coastline.

Consultation closes 3 November, 2023.
Read the informational bulletin
Jack-up rig well plug and abandonment

Esso Australia is planning to plug and abandon (P&A) 21 platform-based wells and five subsea wells in the Gippsland Basin, off the Victorian coastline.

Consultation closes 20 October 2023.
Read the informational bulletin
Bass Strait State Waters Environment Plan

Esso Australia is reviewing and updating the Environmental Management Plan for petroleum activities in State waters, as required under the Victorian Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010.

Consultation has closed.
View the plan
Kipper - subsea drilling

Esso is planning to undertake a subsea drilling campaign at the Kipper location in the Gippsland Basin off the Victorian coastline. This campaign was originally planned for 2020 and will now be completed during 2025 along with other jack-up rig activities.

Consultation closes 21 April 2024.
Read the informational bulletin
Turrum phase 3 drilling

Esso is planning to undertake a drilling campaign from the Marlin Complex (Marlin A and Marlin B) location in the Gippsland Basin off the Victorian coastline. This campaign will be completed during 2025 along with other jack-up rig activities.

Consultation closes 29 March 2024.
Read the bulletin
Gippsland Basin geophysical and geotechnical investigations
Esso is planning to continue to undertake geophysical and geotechnical (G&G) activities across multiple license areas located within Commonwealth Waters in Bass Strait. The investigations are required to inform:
- Plug and abandonment activities
- Decommissioning
- Development around existing facilities
- Maintenance around existing facilities
Consultation closes 21 April 2024.
Read the informational bulletin

Community information sessions

As operator of some of Australia’s oldest oil and gas fields, Esso Australia is committed to identifying and actively engaging key stakeholders on our upcoming projects and activities. Our ongoing consultation plays an essential role in how we align our approach and ensure the essential work that we are undertaking meets the community’s needs and expectations.

Click though the carousel to view upcoming sessions across a variety of locations.

Leongatha

Please see upcoming sessions below and register your interest via consultation@exxonmobil.com

When: Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Where: South Gippsland Trade Skills Alliance (SGBLLEN), 71 Ogilvy St, Leongatha

Time: 3.00 pm – 7.00 pm

A presentation about decommissioning activities will be provided at 3.30 pm and 5.30pm. We encourage you to come along and ask questions or to raise any concerns you may have.

If the listed date/s and time/s don't suit your needs, please contact us at consultation@exxonmobil.com or by phone on 03 9261 0000.

Foster

Please see upcoming sessions below and register your interest via consultation@exxonmobil.com

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024

Where: Manna Gum Community House

Time: Between 3.00pm – 7.00pm

A presentation about decommissioning activities will be provided at 3.30pm and 5.30pm. We encourage you to come along and ask questions or to raise any concerns you may have.

If the listed date/s and time/s don't suit your needs, please contact us at consultation@exxonmobil.com or by phone on 03 9261 0000.

Welshpool

Please see upcoming sessions below and register your interest via consultation@exxonmobil.com

When: Wednesday 25 September 2024

Where: Welshpool Memorial Hall, 49 Main Street, Welshpool

Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm

A presentation about decommissioning activities will be provided at 11:00am. We encourage you to come along and ask questions or to raise any concerns you may have.

If the listed date/s and time/s don't suit your needs, please contact us at consultation@exxonmobil.com or by phone on 03 9261 0000.

Hastings

There are currently no upcoming community information sessions. Please check back for updates, or reach out to us via consultation@exxonmobil.com or +61 3 9261 0000 with any queries you have in the interim or register your interest in upcoming sessions.

Please connect us with other interested people. If there is anyone you know who may be interested in our activities, we encourage you to share this information with them.

Sale

Please connect us with other interested people. If there is anyone you know who may be interested in our activities, we encourage you to share this information with them.