Refineries produce a range of petroleum products including petrol, diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum, lube oils, bitumen, heating oil and other products. The suite of products produced at each refinery varies and depends on the refinery's configuration, the type of crude oil processed and the demand profile.
Australian refining capacity has declined over recent years due to a number of reasons. Australia’s refineries are relatively small when compared to other large refineries in our region. For example, Reliance Industries’ refinery at Jamnagar in India has a capacity almost double that of all seven operating refineries in Australia combined.
The Federal Government’s draft Energy White Paper, released in December 2011, highlights the challenges facing Australia’s oil refining industry.