Environmental responsibility

Seals on platform struts

ExxonMobil is committed to achieving and maintaining excellence in environmental care throughout our operations in Australia.  Our aim is to continuously improve our performance with the goal of driving operational incidents with environmental impact to zero.

We structure the management of our operations and delivery of leading environmental performance around our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS). OIMS provides a structured framework for operational standards of safety, health and environmental protection.

It is a requirement that all of our operations observe the strict systems and practices that flow from OIMS.

We support this commitment to operational excellence through ongoing planned investment in plant and equipment, training and process improvements.

Continuous improvement means continuing to find better ways to perform. With this in mind our Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) organisation has implemented a global initiative aimed at further improving our environmental performance.

The program is centred on the banner “Protect Tomorrow. Today”. This initiative was developed to provide additional guidance and drive environmental progress in the same way that ‘Nobody Gets Hurt’ drives safety performance improvements.

The program involves an increased focus on further improving operating practices and an increased emphasis on quantitative targets and measures.

In 2007 environmental performance initiatives continued to deliver measurable improvements including:

  • Our water conservation teams across all sites reduced our water consumption by about 1000 ML per year - equivalent to 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  • We had a record-low number of oil spills > 1 bbl.
  • We achieved a 78 percent reduction in fugitive emissions from components at the Altona refinery.
  • Advanced process control upgrades at our Longford plants, designed to improve reliability and operability, led to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHG emissions per unit of production).  
  • Our Long Island Point facility achieved a five percent reduction in energy use from 2006 - following on from 10 percent achieved in 2005.
  • Our Yarraville Terminal completed its 2007-2009 Environment Improvement Plan in conjunction with its surrounding community, EPA and local council.