ExxonMobil has started drilling for the Turrum Phase 3 project offshore Australia, with a new gas supply set to reach the east coast domestic market before winter 2027.
The development targets five wells in the Turrum and North Turrum fields and is positioned as a major addition to the east coast supply. The company said the project is expected to deliver a larger gas volume than any single Gippsland Basin Joint Venture development since West Barracouta.
The campaign follows regulatory approval granted in May 2025, after the final investment decision was taken two months earlier. The new wells will be tied into the existing Marlin B platform, about 42 km offshore Gippsland in a water depth of about 60 m.
For the A$350 million drilling programme, equivalent to about $245 million, ExxonMobil has hired the jack-up rig Valaris 107. Three vessels are being used to position the unit at Marlin B within the petroleum production licence VIC/L03.
Gippsland production manager Geoff Humphreys said Turrum Phase 3 ranks among the largest east coast domestic gas developments of the decade and will add supply to a market facing increasing pressure.
The Gippsland joint venture is owned equally by operator Esso Australia Resources and Woodside Energy (Bass Strait). The start of drilling comes as the partners also advance the A$200 million Kipper 1B project, which is due to expand capacity before the Australian winter this year.
