Over more than 50 years of operation, Esso Australia has supported thousands of direct and indirect jobs across Gippsland and Victoria. These days, we’re managing one of our largest workforces yet, across three active and equally important work fronts.
Reliably supplying Gippsland gas to South East Australia.
Over 1000 people work across our Bass Strait offshore facilities, Longford Gas Plants, Long Island Point Plant and other locations, all helping to maintain our reliable supply of Gippsland gas to Australia. All of the gas we produce is provided to the Australian domestic market, with Longford supplying around 61% of Victoria’s gas. The next time you switch on your cooktop or heater, it’s likely to be Gippsland gas that’s flowing, provided by our dedicated work force.
Investing in future gas supplies
Esso continues to invest in developing new gas supplies to support Australia’s energy security and underpin long term employment in the region. Earlier this month, we began drilling the $350 million Turrum Phase 3 project, which will be one of the largest east coast gas developments of the decade. To access the Turrum Phase 3 gas, the VALARIS 107 jack up rig will drill five new wells, requiring expanded rig crews, additional marine support vessels and support from onshore logistics, fabrication yards, and specialist contractors — all contributing to local jobs and economic activity.
Turrum Phase 3 builds on nearly $1 billion of recent investment across the Gippsland Basin, reinforcing its role as Australia’s largest single source of natural gas and a major regional employer. Each stage of every new project development — from design, to drilling, to finally producing and processing the gas, supports skilled, long-term roles across Victoria and the broader east coast energy network.
Responsibly decommissioning our retired offshore facilities
Our Bass Strait decommissioning program continues to progress strongly, supporting hundreds of jobs across the region as we prepare to remove our legacy offshore infrastructure. So far, we have completed nearly $3 billion of early decommissioning works, creating sustained employment for marine crews, drilling specialists, engineers, environmental scientists, logistical support teams, and onshore workers across Victoria.
A key part of this work has been the commissioning of a diverse fleet of mobile offshore assets, each of which brings its own workforce and supply chain activity. In recent years, vessels and rigs such as the Skandi Darwin Multi-Purpose Support Vessel, the Helix Q7000 semi-submersible, the VALARIS 107 jack up rig, and platform rigs Rig 22, Rig 47, Rig 48, and the HWT600 have all supported decommissioning campaigns. Each asset carries specialised crews, technical teams, and support personnel — providing ongoing job opportunities across offshore operations, vessel management, catering, transport, fabrication, and maintenance.
We are also preparing for the next phase of the program – removal of our retired platforms from 2027. Environmental engineers, geotechnical specialists, marine contractors, divers, survey teams, environmental consultants, project managers, and regulatory experts, who are all working to ensure the removal will be completed safely and responsibly.
As we work to simultaneously maintain our reliable supply of gas while investing in future supplies and decommissioning our retired facilities, we remain committed to supporting Gippsland jobs, operating safely, protecting the environment, and delivering the energy Australians need.
“From our platform to LinkedIn’s energy professionals – your announcements reach the entire sector’s network, not just our readers.”
