The making of Altona Refinery

1946:
A joint venture between the Vacuum Oil Company (later Mobil) and Standard Oil (later Exxon / Esso) begins the construction of the Altona Refinery

1949:
Operations commence at Altona Refinery, producing lubricating oils and bitumen, with a capacity of 2,200 barrels of crude a day

1953-54:
A multi-million dollar expansion program enables Altona Refinery to extend its product range into motor vehicle fuels, as well as to process crude oil recently discovered in New Guinea

1955:
On 4 April, the Prime Minister, the Honourable R.G. Menzies officially opens the Refinery following the major expansion

1956:
The production of aviation fuel begins, a first for Australia

1970:
Altona Refinery is extensively modified and expanded to enable it to process the new Bass Strait crude

1997:
Mobil completes a major project to modernise the refinery, including the installation of a new Fluidised Catalytic Cracking unit (FCC)

2004:
The refinery invests in the Clean Fuels Venture and the New Business Model, to meet new clean fuels specifications and improve the long-term viability of the refinery

2009:
The refinery celebrated its 60^th birthday