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Longford Plants

With its three gas plants, a gas conditioning plant and one crude oil stabilisation plant, Longford is one of the most important industrial facilities in Australia.
Article

2 min read

• May 23, 2024

Situated 20 kilometres from Sale in South Gippsland, Victoria, Longford is the onshore receiving point for oil and gas output from Bass Strait.

It has been operating for more than 40 years and in that time the oil and gas passing through its network of pipes and vessels has contributed significantly to the national economy, fueling growth in industry and employment. These products have also delivered substantial direct revenue to the Commonwealth and Victorian governments.

Longford has been supplying most of Victoria's gas requirements since 1969. It also supplies gas to New South Wales and Tasmania.  Longford has also produced 54 per cent of all of Australia’s crude oil and liquids.

This energy supply has supported a myriad of industries including power generation, transportation, gas retailing, plastics, petrochemicals, manufacturing and minerals processing.

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The processing and supply chain

The four plants that make up the Longford complex are situated on 169 hectares of land. Farmland adjoins the site which is remote from residential areas.

The site layout is based on ExxonMobil and industry worldwide experience to maximise safety and operating efficiency. Longford operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The first gas production plant, Gas Plant 1, was constructed at Longford in 1969 and the Crude Oil Stabilisation Plant came on line in 1970. As the market for natural gas increased Gas Plant 2 was added in 1976 and Gas Plant 3 went into operation in 1983.

Two pipelines run 187km from Longford to Long Island Point. They carry the crude oil for storage and distribution and the gas liquids for further processing and distribution. Both pipelines are managed and maintained by Longford based personnel.

Adjacent to Longford is the heliport that serves as the base for ExxonMobil's large helicopter fleet, which services the company's 23 Bass Strait oil and gas platforms and installations.

Gas Conditioning Plant

In 2017, Esso Australia completed construction of a Gas Conditioning Plant at its existing Longford facilities near Sale in south-eastern Victoria.

The Gas Conditioning Plant processes gas associated with the largest domestic gas development on Australia’s eastern seaboard, the multi-billion-dollar Kipper Tuna Turrum (KTT) Project.

Longford Plants Facts

  • Commenced operation in 1969, in that time has processed more than half of Australia’s crude oil and hydrocarbon liquids
  • Currently supplies around 20 percent of the eastern Australian gas market
  • Longford Plants has processed more than four billion barrels of oil and eight trillion cubic feet of gas since production began in 1969, fed by a network of 600km of underwater pipelines
  • Provides employment for around 200 people and indirectly supports other local jobs

Learn more about how Longford Plants contributes to the local community