Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit Restart at Geelong Refinery

• Restart of Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit completed
• Production expected to return to over 90% of normal capacity
• Alkylation unit remains offline, impacting LPG conversion
• Investigation into incident cause ongoing, preliminary findings available

Viva Energy Group Limited has completed the restart of the Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit (RCCU) at its Geelong Refinery, which was affected by a fire on 15 April 2026. With the RCCU and associated units returning to operation, production is expected to return to over 90% of normal capacity. However, the Alkylation unit, which converts LPG into gasoline, remains offline, impacting the refinery's capacity. The company is assessing options to repair or replace the Alkylation unit, with expectations that it will remain offline throughout 2027. The incident resulted in reduced production and lower margins, with the Geelong Refining Margin (GRM) for April and May 2026 at US$23.9/bbl. The restart of the RCCU is expected to improve GRM by increasing finished product yields. The cause of the incident is under investigation, with preliminary findings indicating a failure in a section of piping within the Alkylation unit.

Production expected to return to over 90% of normal capacity

The Alkylation unit is expected to remain offline throughout 2027, impacting LPG conversion capacity.