 The refinery in 2011 | |
 Interactive map of Geelong Oil Refinery | |
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | Victoria |
| City | Geelong |
| Refinery details | |
| Operator | Viva Energy |
| Owners |
|
| Commissioned | 18 March 1954 (1954-03-18) |
| Capacity | 7.5 billion litres per year |
The Geelong Oil Refinery is an oil refinery owned and operated by Viva Energy at Corio near Geelong, Victoria, Australia. In 2017, the Geelong refinery, Australia's second-largest oil refinery at the time, processed 7.5 billion litres of crude oil annually.[1] As of 2026, it produces approximately half of the fuel used in the state of Victoria, or around 10 per cent of Australia’s overall fuel consumption.[2]
The Geelong refinery was established by Shell Australia in 1954.[3] It was sold to global oil trader Vitol, which established Viva Energy to buy all of Shell's Australian downstream assets in August 2014.[4]
In 2021, Geelong Refinery became one of only two oil refineries in Australia (with Lytton Oil Refinery in Brisbane) that had not closed or announced closure within the year.[5]
On the evening of 15 April 2026, a fire broke out at the Geelong Refinery. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) was called to the Viva Energy Refinery at 11:05pm following multiple reports of "explosions and flames".[2] No one was injured in the fire.[6] Although the refinery is still operating at reduced capacity, officials have warned it could impact the nation’s petrol supplies.[7]
References
- "Australian oil refineries" (PDF). Factsheet. Australian Institute of Petroleum. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- "Explosions as one of Australia's two oil refineries erupts in flames 150 million litres of diesel was lost". ABC News. 15 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- "Shell's Geelong refinery chief". Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 12 March 1954. p. 12 (LAST RACE). Retrieved 13 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Vitol completes acquisition of Shell's Australian Downstream business; Launches Viva Energy Australia" (Press release). Viva Energy. 13 August 2014. 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.
- Reliable source about the diesel loss.
- "Geelong fire: Blaze at Australian oil refinery to impact petrol supplies". www.bbc.com. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
38°04′40″S 144°22′56″E / 38.0777744°S 144.3821741°E / -38.0777744; 144.3821741