Shell says Geelong refinery will continue to operate

Despite Shell’s announcement that its 79,000-barrel-a-day Clyde Refinery in Sydney would close in September, the company insisted that operations at the Shell Geelong refinery will continue. “The decision about Clyde’s future is not related to Shell’s Geelong refinery,” said Jessica Marriner, Shell’s communications adviser. ‘There is currently no proposal or plan to cease refinery operations at Geelong and operations will continue as normal. Shell said that its continues to invest in the Geelong refinery and its surrounding infrastructure, and has in fact added a new bitumen tank and gantry, the northern water treatment plant and avgas (aviation gasoline) tankage. At the same time, the company admitted that Australia’s refining industry is facing several challenges. (June 8, 2012)