Shell's Sydney refinery closure brought forward

Shell Australia has brought forward the date of closure of its Clyde refinery in Sydney to the end of September.

The closure follows the decision made in July 2011 to convert the 79,000 b/d facility to an import fuel terminal.

Originally Shell gave a closure date of mid-2013, but continued losses have brought the date forward.

Shell says its decision is consistent with its strategy to focus its refining portfolio on larger assets and build a profitable downstream business in Australia. The refinery has continued to struggle against sustained poor industry margins and intense competition from mega-refineries in Asia.

The Clyde closure comes as Caltex is moving towards closure of its Sydney refinery at Kurnell. A final decision there is expected in the next 3 months.