Long Island Point

Opened in 1970, the Long Island Point plant, situated near Hastings, 75 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, plays a vital role in the Bass Strait production line. Long Island Point carries out the final stage in the processing of the gas liquids (ethane, propane and butane) and stores crude oil prior to distribution to refineries in Australia and overseas.

The 158 hectare site houses three gas liquids fractionation trains, nineteen pressurized Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG - propane and butane) storage vessels, seven refrigerated atmospheric pressure LPG storage tanks, eight crude oil storage tanks, an LPG truck loading terminal and a jetty for loading LPG and crude oil onto ships. There is also a laboratory, warehouse, workshop and administration building.

In line with Victorian regulatory requirements, Long Island Point is registered as a Major Hazard Facility because it stores, handles, and processes large quantities of flammable products.

Each year LPG is shipped to customers across the Asia-Pacific region. Crude is also shipped to customers, mostly in Australia.  Pipes for the various products run down the jetty to extendable loading arms which are attached securely to the tankers' manifold.  

Environmental care
Personnel at Long Island Point are committed to achieving and maintaining excellence in environmental care throughout operations with a focus on emissions reductions , water conservation and oil spill prevention.    

Every year the facility publishes an annual Environment Report, detailing improvement initiatives and performance highlights.  

Crude oil tank farm
Long Island Point has eight tanks which store stabilised Bass Strait (Gippsland) crude oil.

The crude oil arrives via pipeline from ExxonMobil's processing plant at Longford. It is stored in the tank farm where the remaining entrained water is removed. It is then sent via pipeline to the two Victorian refineries (Altona and Geelong) or, it is loaded onto ships at Long Island Point's marine loading jetty.

Once the crude oil reaches the refineries it is transformed into a variety of products including petrol, diesel, and lubricants.

The crude oil storage tanks are painted dark green so that they blend more easily with the natural environment.

Truck loading facility
Long Island Point's truck loading facility loads an average of 50-60 trucks a day with the demand being highest in the winter months. The trucks, from a variety of companies, distribute LPG to businesses and service stations throughout southeast Australia.

The facility has sophisticated safety features including an automatic, continuous self-checking system which prevents overloading. It also ensures connections to the truck are properly fitted throughout loading and will not allow loading to begin in the event of a fault.

The proximity of the Long Island Point processing plant is also a significant safety advantage. It means that product does not need to be stored at the truck loading facility but can be transferred by pipe from the refrigerated or pressure storage when each truck is ready to load.