Chris Zappone
July 26, 2012
The Age
Petroleum company Caltex will close its Kurnell refinery in Sydney in a move that will cost 330 jobs.
The decision follows a year-long review of the viability of the site.
Caltex said the refinery would be closed in the second half of 2014 and would be converted to a “major import terminal” to supply imported fuel for Australian customers. The closure would eliminate about 330 positions, the company said.
Kurnell is one of two major refineries operated by Caltex, with a second facility in Brisbane. Caltex, which provides about one-third of Australia’s refined petrol, began a review of its refinery operations in August 2011.
The closure of the Kurnell facility ends months of speculation about the fate of the refineries that have hung over employees at both facilities. Caltex has been squeezed by the strength of the Australian dollar and the “challenging outlook” for refiner margins at its aging facilities.
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