Recent from talks
Kwinana Oil Refinery
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Kwinana Oil Refinery
The Kwinana Oil Refinery was sited on the shore of Cockburn Sound at the suburb of Kwinana Beach, near Fremantle, Western Australia. Built by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and completed in 1955, it was the largest oil refinery in Australia, with a capacity of 21.9 million litres per day (138,000 bbl/d). It was closed by BP in March 2021 to be converted to an import-only terminal and, as of 2025[update], was transitioning into a biorefinery and green hydrogen production facility.
In March 1952, the Government of Western Australia and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company signed a £A 40 million agreement, equivalent to A$1.7 billion in 2022, to build the Kwinana Oil Refinery. The agreement was then sent to parliament for reading as two bills on 6 March; one, the Oil Refinery (Kwinana) Industry Bill, to ratify the agreement and the second, the Industrial Development (Kwinana Area) Bill, to acquire the land in Kwinana.
The Australasian Petroleum Refinery Ltd. was organized in January 1953 and was renamed to BP Refinery (Kwinana) Ltd. on June 1, 1956.
Details in this final agreement included a requirement that the company pay at least 6% of the costs of dredging Cockburn Sound, estimated at between £4–6 million, with the state meeting the company's requirements for the dredge; supply of 12,000 kilowatts of electricity; cement to be imported by the company; sale of 30 hectares (75 acres) of land to the south of the refinery for recreation and amenities; provision of water and sewerage to the construction and final building; supply of potable water – 0.91 million litres (240 thousand US gallons) a day, rising to 14 million litres (3.6 million US gallons) a day; sale of land at £200 per hectare (£80/acre); federal government assistance in obtaining migrant labour for the project. The state government undertook to build 1,000 rental homes within three years, with water, septic tanks, fences and roads to the refinery. Included were details of three pipelines to be built, one to Fremantle, a second from Fremantle to Perth and a third from Kwinana to Perth. The state also provided a guarantee against future socialisation and waived charges for pilotage of ships which were being used on company business.
In the second bill, land for future industry was proposed and would stretch from Robbs Jetty south towards Rockingham Townsite and east to Jandakot, with it acquired at a reasonable price. Resumption of land would take place up until 31 December 1953 and possibly beyond.
Both bills passed the Legislative Council on 14 March 1952 and were sent to Governor Charles Gairdner for the Royal assent.
At a meeting held in Canberra with Interior Minister Kent Hughes, the federal government agreed on 18 March 1952 to sell back 384 hectares (949 acres) it had owned since its purchase in 1916 to the WA State Government at £25 per hectare (£10/acre). Hughes also agreed to return Commonwealth land, from Woodman Point down to Kwinana, to the state for use as industrial land. Concerned about the impact of the project on the disruption to sources of labour in WA, Minister for Works David Brand discussed immigration policy to make up the shortfall especially when it came to skilled workers. Discussion also took place as to Australian import restrictions when it came to material required for the refinery's construction, with the company willing to use local supplies but not to the detriment of the state's requirements for construction materials in other local projects.
In May 1952, the State government authorised the commencement of a 19-kilometre (12 mi), 26-centimetre (10 in) steel water pipeline from Melville reservoir to a 4.5-megalitre (1-million-imperial-gallon) storage tank with a diameter of 36.5 metres (120 ft) on Mount Brown in Henderson, due for completion in August and July respectively and on to the refinery site for use during construction. Also in late May, A. E. Mason arrived to become the head of the project in Western Australia for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Work also proceeded on soil surveys, hydrographic surveys and pile tests at the project site.
Hub AI
Kwinana Oil Refinery AI simulator
(@Kwinana Oil Refinery_simulator)
Kwinana Oil Refinery
The Kwinana Oil Refinery was sited on the shore of Cockburn Sound at the suburb of Kwinana Beach, near Fremantle, Western Australia. Built by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and completed in 1955, it was the largest oil refinery in Australia, with a capacity of 21.9 million litres per day (138,000 bbl/d). It was closed by BP in March 2021 to be converted to an import-only terminal and, as of 2025[update], was transitioning into a biorefinery and green hydrogen production facility.
In March 1952, the Government of Western Australia and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company signed a £A 40 million agreement, equivalent to A$1.7 billion in 2022, to build the Kwinana Oil Refinery. The agreement was then sent to parliament for reading as two bills on 6 March; one, the Oil Refinery (Kwinana) Industry Bill, to ratify the agreement and the second, the Industrial Development (Kwinana Area) Bill, to acquire the land in Kwinana.
The Australasian Petroleum Refinery Ltd. was organized in January 1953 and was renamed to BP Refinery (Kwinana) Ltd. on June 1, 1956.
Details in this final agreement included a requirement that the company pay at least 6% of the costs of dredging Cockburn Sound, estimated at between £4–6 million, with the state meeting the company's requirements for the dredge; supply of 12,000 kilowatts of electricity; cement to be imported by the company; sale of 30 hectares (75 acres) of land to the south of the refinery for recreation and amenities; provision of water and sewerage to the construction and final building; supply of potable water – 0.91 million litres (240 thousand US gallons) a day, rising to 14 million litres (3.6 million US gallons) a day; sale of land at £200 per hectare (£80/acre); federal government assistance in obtaining migrant labour for the project. The state government undertook to build 1,000 rental homes within three years, with water, septic tanks, fences and roads to the refinery. Included were details of three pipelines to be built, one to Fremantle, a second from Fremantle to Perth and a third from Kwinana to Perth. The state also provided a guarantee against future socialisation and waived charges for pilotage of ships which were being used on company business.
In the second bill, land for future industry was proposed and would stretch from Robbs Jetty south towards Rockingham Townsite and east to Jandakot, with it acquired at a reasonable price. Resumption of land would take place up until 31 December 1953 and possibly beyond.
Both bills passed the Legislative Council on 14 March 1952 and were sent to Governor Charles Gairdner for the Royal assent.
At a meeting held in Canberra with Interior Minister Kent Hughes, the federal government agreed on 18 March 1952 to sell back 384 hectares (949 acres) it had owned since its purchase in 1916 to the WA State Government at £25 per hectare (£10/acre). Hughes also agreed to return Commonwealth land, from Woodman Point down to Kwinana, to the state for use as industrial land. Concerned about the impact of the project on the disruption to sources of labour in WA, Minister for Works David Brand discussed immigration policy to make up the shortfall especially when it came to skilled workers. Discussion also took place as to Australian import restrictions when it came to material required for the refinery's construction, with the company willing to use local supplies but not to the detriment of the state's requirements for construction materials in other local projects.
In May 1952, the State government authorised the commencement of a 19-kilometre (12 mi), 26-centimetre (10 in) steel water pipeline from Melville reservoir to a 4.5-megalitre (1-million-imperial-gallon) storage tank with a diameter of 36.5 metres (120 ft) on Mount Brown in Henderson, due for completion in August and July respectively and on to the refinery site for use during construction. Also in late May, A. E. Mason arrived to become the head of the project in Western Australia for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Work also proceeded on soil surveys, hydrographic surveys and pile tests at the project site.
Recent media