Esso Australia Resources (the Australian subsidiary of ExxonMobil) has begun drilling operations as part of the Turrum Phase 3 gas project on the continental shelf of Australia.
This was reported by the company’s press service.
The project is aimed at supplying natural gas to the energy-intensive market of the country’s east coast and is expected to be commissioned before winter 2027.
According to the company, Turrum Phase 3 will become one of the largest gas projects of the decade in the region and will supply more gas than any other project in the Gippsland Basin since the discovery of the West Barracouta field.
It is recalled that the Gippsland Basin is one of Australia’s most hydrocarbon-rich provinces, located approximately 200 km (125 miles) east of Melbourne.
Key parameters of the Turrum Phase 3 project:
- drilling is being carried out approximately 42 km from the Gippsland coast;
- water depth in the area is about 60 m;
- the jack-up drilling rig VALARIS 107 is being used;
- Australia’s regulator National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSEMA) has approved the drilling of five wells at the Turrum and North Turrum fields;
- the final investment decision was taken in spring 2025.
The project is being implemented on a parity basis with Woodside Energy. It is considered strategically important for maintaining the country’s energy security amid declining reserves in the Bass Strait.
According to Woodside, starting from 2028, the east coast of Australia may face gas shortages during peak periods, and from 2029 — a structural deficit if new supply sources are not introduced.
Earlier, ExxonMobil and its partners confirmed investments of 200 million Australian dollars in the Kipper 1B project in the Gippsland Basin, with expansion expected to be completed before the onset of the Australian winter this year.
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