Woodside succeeds ExxonMobil as leader of Gippsland, Kipper ventures

The various offshore fields supply 40% of Australia’s east coast domestic gas needs.
July 5, 2026
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Why this news matters:

  • Woodside has taken operational control of assets that supply about 40% of Australia’s east coast gas demand, making the transition significant for regional energy security and domestic gas supply. 

  • The company sees additional growth potential in the mature basin, with identified opportunities that could deliver up to 200 petajoules of new gas production using existing infrastructure. 

  • The operatorship change marks a new phase for some of Australia’s longest-producing offshore gas assets, with Woodside focusing on production optimization, late-life field management and future decommissioning planning. 

 

Courtesy Woodside
Woodside succeeds ExxonMobil as leader of Gippsland, Kipper ventures

Woodside Energy has formally assumed operatorship from Esso Australia Resources of the Gippsland Basin gas production assets in south-east Australia.

These include the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture (GBJV) and Kipper Unit Joint Venture (KUJV), which have supplied gas to Australia’s domestic and industrial sectors for decades.

Woodside said it would implement its operating systems, governance and technical capabilities to support ongoing production, investment and planning for late-life field management and decommissioning.

It also plans to keep assessing development opportunities within the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture: prospects identified could deliver up to 200 petajoules of additional gas to the east coast market, the company added, through existing infrastructure.

Gas from the Gippsland Basin fields account for 40 of east coast domestic gas demand.

Woodside and Esso Australia Resources each have a 50% interest in the GBJV and a 32.5% interest in the KUJV.

The Gippsland Basin operations employ 1,200 people to support offshore and onshore facilities that include the Longford Gas Plant and Long Island Point processing facility. 

About the Author

Jeremy Beckman
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Jeremy Beckman

Staff Writer / Editor, Europe

Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.

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