Port Stanvac, South Australia
 | This article needs more citations. (November 2014) |
Port Stanvac is a former port and oil refinery in the suburb of Lonsdale south of Adelaide city centre in South Australia. It was operated by ExxonMobil between 1963 and 2003. The site was decommissioned and undeveloped for 20 years following the closure of the refinery. In 2024, the South Australian government announced plans to remediate the area and construct residential housing and park lands with an anticipated completion date of 2028.[2][3]
Oil refinery
[edit]It was announced in 1958 that a refinery with a designed capacity of 3.3 million tons per annum and owned by ExxonMobil would be built at Port Stanvac. The refinery first processed crude oil there in 1963. Its closure in 2003 resulted in the loss more than 400 jobs. Decommissioning and remediation of the 239-hectare (590-acre) site is ongoing and is expected to continue until 2019.[needs update] Once the site has been decommissioned, the land is expected to be sold in phases.[citation needed] Demolition of the refinery was completed in 2014.[4]
Port Stanvac jetty
[edit] | This section needs to be updated. (June 2016) |
The Port Stanvac jetty is 670 metres long, and since the refinery's closure in 2003 remains with an exclusion zone for the purposes of public safety. The structure terminates in waters 12 to 15 metres deep.[5]
In October 2015, the South Australian government committed to retaining the existing 215 metre rock groyne adjoining the jetty, but according to ExxonMobil "had not identified a viable alternate use for the defunct structure." Mobil agreed to fund upgrade works estimated to cost $5.7 million to ensure that the groyne would be safe prior to opening it for public access.[6] Has been demolished and proposed maps of future development for the area include a shorter jetty intended primarily for recreational use.[7][2]
Oil spills
[edit]A number of oil spill events occurred at or near Port Stanvac during the refinery's operating life.
- One such incident occurred on 20 July 1978 when oil was discharged from the vessel Aphrodite into Gulf St Vincent.[8]
- On 22 January 1982, oil was spilled from the tanker Esso Gippsland during unloading at the Port Stanvac jetty. The slick was sprayed with chemical dispersant, applied from the air. Oil later washed ashore at Seaford and Aldinga Beach.[9]
- On 28 June 1999, approximately 230 tonnes of oil was discharged from an offshore loading connection to the refinery. The discharge occurred 2 nautical miles offshore.[10] The oil spill response in 1999 involved aerial spraying of 26.1 cubic metres of chemical dispersant and the employment of approximately 150 people in beach cleanups at beaches at Sellicks Beach and Aldinga Beach.[11]
Grain terminal
[edit]The construction of a grain export terminal was proposed by the Australian Wheat Board and Australian Barley Board in 2002. The proposal did not progress, due to the progression of the Outer Harbor AusBulk grain terminal in the existing port precinct area. This was due to the additional infrastructure costs, and impacts on the community of additional freight movements in residential areas.[12]
New Life for Port Stanvac in Mixed Use Development
[edit]In 2024, the Government of South Australia announced redevelopment of the former ExxonMobil site. The 230 hectare master plan will include approximately 3600 dwellings including a minimum of 15% affordable housing. Approximately 40 hectares of coast land will be protected with public beach access included. Other features will include porting fields, neighborhood scale shopping, entertainment and recreation facilities. The mixed-use development will also include a range of industrial, logistical, warehousing, storage, research, and training land uses, with accessibility to the Lonsdale Railway Station.[13][14]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Search result for "Port Stanvac Oil Refinery" (Record no SA0040704) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- 1 2 Australia, Premier of South (10 June 2025). "Port Stanvac's coastal transformation starts now". Premier of South Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ "Port Stanvac". MAB. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ "Mobil Adelaide Refinery". www.exxonmobil.com.au. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Port Stanvac Wharf Fact Sheet" (PDF). Mobil. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Mobil Adelaide Refinery - Port Stanvac wharf". www.exxonmobil.com.au. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Port Stanvac Jetty | WGA AU | Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec". Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ "Oil-spill fine - The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) - 26 Aug 1980". Canberra Times. 26 August 1980. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Esso Gippsland oil pollution incident, Port Stanvac, 22 January 1982 - Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)". www.amsa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ↑ "Response to the Port Stanvac oil spill [electronic resource] / Marine Incident Investigation Unit. - Version details". Trove. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Julian, Michael (14 April 2000). "Response to the oil spill at Port Stanvac on 28 June 1999 - Report of the Incident Analysis Team - April 2000" (PDF). AMSA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Deep-sea grain port for Adelaide" (PDF). Cabinet - Subjects for consideration. Department of Premier and Cabinet (South Australia). 8 October 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ↑ Australia, Premier of South (15 November 2024). "Port Stanvac unlocked for new housing development". Premier of South Australia. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ↑ "Council welcomes Port Stanvac announcement". www.onkaparinganow.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.