Port Stanvac, South Australia facts for kids
Port Stanvac was once an important port and oil refinery in South Australia. It is located in a suburb called Lonsdale, south of Adelaide. An oil company named ExxonMobil ran the refinery from 1963 until 2003. After it closed, the port and the land where the refinery stood were cleaned up.
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What Was the Port Stanvac Oil Refinery?
In 1958, plans were made to build a large oil refinery at Port Stanvac. This refinery was designed to process 3.3 million tons of oil each year. It started processing crude oil in 1963. When the refinery closed in 2003, more than 400 people lost their jobs.
The process of cleaning up the 239-hectare site took many years. The demolition of the refinery buildings was finished in 2014. After the site is fully cleaned, the land is expected to be sold in different stages.
The Port Stanvac Jetty
The Port Stanvac jetty is a long structure, reaching 670 metres into the water. Since the refinery closed in 2003, people are not allowed near it. This is for public safety reasons. The end of the jetty reaches water that is 12 to 15 metres deep.
In 2015, the South Australian government decided to keep a 215-metre rock wall next to the jetty. However, ExxonMobil said there was no clear new use for the old jetty itself. Mobil agreed to pay $5.7 million to make the rock wall safe for public use. The jetty structure itself is expected to be taken down.
There was talk about the City of Onkaparinga taking over the jetty. This would allow people to use it for fishing and diving. The Mayor of Onkaparinga, Lorraine Rosenberg, said the Government of South Australia should be responsible for it. There are not many places for shore-based diving near Adelaide. This made the jetty a possible new spot for dive tourism. The council also thought about using the jetty as a port for local businesses. They would need to consider the costs of looking after it.
Oil Spills at Port Stanvac
During the time the refinery was running, there were a few oil spills near Port Stanvac.
- On July 20, 1978, oil spilled from a ship called Aphrodite into Gulf St Vincent.
- On January 22, 1982, oil spilled from the tanker Esso Gippsland. This happened while it was unloading oil at the Port Stanvac jetty. The oil was sprayed with special chemicals from the air to break it up. Later, oil washed up on beaches at Seaford and Aldinga Beach.
- On June 28, 1999, about 230 tonnes of oil spilled from a connection offshore. This spill happened about 2 nautical miles from the coast. To clean it up, chemicals were sprayed from the air. Also, about 150 people helped clean the beaches at Sellicks Beach and Aldinga Beach.
Proposed Grain Terminal
In 2002, the Australian Wheat Board and Australian Barley Board suggested building a grain export terminal at Port Stanvac. However, this plan did not go ahead. Another grain terminal was being built at Outer Harbor. Building at Port Stanvac would have cost more money. It would also have caused more truck traffic in local neighbourhoods.
In Popular Culture
The South Australian band The Dairy Brothers wrote a song called "Port Stanvac." They also made a music video for the song.
