Esso, Mitsui and Woodside to invest nearly $200 million into the Gippsland Basin

Esso Australia announced a nearly $200 million dollar investment in the Kipper 1B Project, which will bring online much-needed additional gas supply from the Gippsland Basin.

The project, which was approved by Esso, Mitsui, and Woodside , will utilize the VALARIS 107 jackup rig to drill and install one subsea well into the Kipper field, and involve significant upgrades to the West Tuna platform.

Kipper 1B follows the completion of the recent Kipper Compression Project, and the West Barracouta project that came online in 2021.

Drilling into the Kipper field is set to begin later this year, with upgrades to the West Tuna platform happening simultaneously. The project is expected to expand capacity from the Kipper field, delivering crucial gas supplies to the market ahead of winter 2026.

Esso operates assets in Bass Strait that form part of the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture between Esso and Woodside and the Kipper Unit Joint Venture (Esso, Woodside, and Mitsui).