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Aerial view of the Geelong Refinery | Source: drive.com (April 17, 2026)

The Geelong Refinery is located at Corio, on the northern shore of Corio Bay near Geelong, Victoria, and is one of two crude oil refineries operating in Australia. Commissioned in 1954 by Shell, the refinery was the second built at the Geelong site and became part of the Viva Energy group through Vitol’s 2014 acquisition of Shell’s Australian downstream business, with the group listed on the ASX in 2018. The refinery operates with support from the Australian Government’s Fuel Security Services Payment program, under which Australia’s two remaining refineries receive payments linked to production, with the program extending to mid-2027.

The refinery has a crude oil processing capacity of approximately 120,000 barrels per day. Its crude slate comprises predominantly Australian domestic crudes — including Bass Strait and Western Australian crudes — supplemented by imported crudes, delivered via the refinery’s marine facilities on Corio Bay, which include dedicated crude and product jetties. Imported refined products are also received at the site, which functions as an integrated refining and import terminal hub.

Major process units include a crude distillation unit, fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU), catalytic reformer, alkylation unit, and hydrodesulphurisation units enabling production of ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel meeting Australian fuel quality standards. The refinery is integrated with an on-site polypropylene plant (operated through the group’s polymers business), which processes refinery-grade propylene from the FCCU.

Products include regular and premium unleaded petrol, ultra-low sulphur diesel, jet fuel, LPG, bitumen, marine fuels, and specialty products. The refinery supplies a substantial share of Victoria’s and South Australia’s fuel demand, distributes jet fuel to Melbourne airports, and is Australia’s largest bitumen producer. Products are distributed by pipeline, road, and sea, including coastal shipments to South Australian ports.

Development activity at the site centres on fuel supply security and energy transition. Viva Energy is progressing a proposed LNG import terminal at Corio (the Geelong LNG Terminal project), intended to address forecast gas supply shortfalls in southeastern Australia. The refinery also supplies feedstock to the adjacent polypropylene plant — though the group announced a divestment process for the polymers business in 2024, the status of which should be verified.