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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

The ongoing transformational journey of Australia’s oldest and largest oil and gas operation

Tom Burger A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A ExxonMobil Australia, Melbourne, Vic.




Tom Burger is the Operations Readiness Superintendent for ExxonMobil Australia. He commenced his career 14 years ago as a Reservoir Engineer. Since then, he’s held positions of increasing responsibility across many of the company’s upstream assets, including transitioning into a surface role as Gas Management System Engineer and then over to ExxonMobil PNG. Tom then joined the PNG LNG start up team at Hides in the PNG Highlands. After a number of years rotating to PNG he returned to Australia to become Plant Supervisor at the Longford Gas Plant. This amazing experience then allowed him the opportunity to transition into an Engineering Technical Supervisor role looking after ExxonMobil Australia’s onshore assets. One of Tom’s proudest days was when he was offered the Longford Operations Superintendent role. In his current role, Tom is a part of a pivotal team which is working towards to delivering transformation projects for ExxonMobil Australia.

* Correspondence to: thomas.j.burger@exxonmobil.com

Australian Energy Producers Journal 64 S46-S48 https://doi.org/10.1071/EP23252
Accepted: 3 April 2024  Published: 16 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of Australian Energy Producers.

Abstract

For over 50 years Gippsland Basin Joint Venture (GBJV) has been producing oil and gas from the Gippsland Basin. Through hard work, challenging the status quo and innovation, the business, the operation and the people have been on a transformational journey. You may have heard about our conventional expansion opportunities, Kipper-Tuna-Turrum development and Longford Gas Conditioning Plant, but have you heard about how GBJV is progressing carbon dioxide (CO2) to sales with BOC and Air Liquide or how the team has reduced flare by 46% since 2018? Have you heard how the team increased Longford’s capacity by 11% in 2022 to deliver the highest gas production since 2017 to meet market demand. Or about how we are transforming the operation through our Gippsland Asset Streamlining Project, where we will no longer have a Crude Stabilisation Plant or a Gas Plant 1 at Longford? We continue to focus on our reliable gas operation through upcoming projects such as Hastings Generation Project, and Kipper Compression Project while also pursuing meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions such as South East Australia Carbon Capture and Storage Project in the Gippsland Basin. Our transformation to a ‘Modern Australian Gas Business’ has not only meant change for our facilities but also change for our people in how we work and the culture we have built. Every day, our teams work to supply essential energy to Australian homes and businesses while also being on a transformational journey to improve the sustainability of our operation and contribute to the energy transition.

Keywords: culture, business transformation, energy transition, gas business.

Biographies

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Tom Burger is the Operations Readiness Superintendent for ExxonMobil Australia. He commenced his career 14 years ago as a Reservoir Engineer. Since then, he’s held positions of increasing responsibility across many of the company’s upstream assets, including transitioning into a surface role as Gas Management System Engineer and then over to ExxonMobil PNG. Tom then joined the PNG LNG start up team at Hides in the PNG Highlands. After a number of years rotating to PNG he returned to Australia to become Plant Supervisor at the Longford Gas Plant. This amazing experience then allowed him the opportunity to transition into an Engineering Technical Supervisor role looking after ExxonMobil Australia’s onshore assets. One of Tom’s proudest days was when he was offered the Longford Operations Superintendent role. In his current role, Tom is a part of a pivotal team which is working towards to delivering transformation projects for ExxonMobil Australia.