Mobil brand to return to Australia

Peter Ker
January 9, 2014
SMH
Resources reporter
The Mobil brand is about to return to petrol stations around Australia, in the latest round of changes to hit the downstream side of the petroleum industry.
The fuels produced by ExxonMobil have been sold to Australian motorists under the 7-Eleven brand for the past couple of years, but the two companies have announced this morning that the Mobil brand will be exhumed in a bid to capitalise on Mobil’s century-old reputation.
ExxonMobil’s Australian chairman Richard Owen said the changes would start to be implemented throughout 2014.
“ExxonMobil has been the exclusive supplier of fuel to 7-Eleven service stations since 2012 and the new strategic partnership provides a platform for future growth.
7-Eleven is the leading Australian convenience retailer and has also established a well recognised position in the retail fuels market in Australia over the last decade,” he said.
The Mobil move comes at an intriguing time in the retail side of the Australian fuel sector, with BP and Shell reportedly mulling a sale of their distribution networks around Australia.
In a veiled reference to that climate of uncertainty in the local fuel sector, Mr Owen said the 7-Eleven deal “highlights ExxonMobil’s commitment to downstream operations”.
ExxonMobil also operates a fuel refinery in Altona in Melbourne’s west.
The Mobil brand disappeared from metropolitan petrol stations on Australia’s east coast in 2010 when the outlets were sold to 7-Eleven.
However some stations in rural areas have still been branded Mobil in recent years.