The plant's refinery and tank farm complex receive crude oil and gas from the Cooper Basin in outback South Australia for processing and distribution.

The spill response used chemical dispersants including Corexit and the remaining slick resulted in loss of bird life and damage to mangrove habitats and tidal creeks.

[citation needed] In May 2016, Port Bonython Fuels was commissioned, ending Santos's prior claim as the only established industrial presence in the area.

[citation needed] In 2020, Port Bonython was named by the Government of South Australia as a potential location for the development of hydrogen export facilities to facilitate the expansion of the state's growing utility-scale renewable energy sector.

Water produced by the proposed desalination plant would be piped overland, 300 km north to the Olympic Dam mine for the exclusive use of BHP.

[16] Resource company BHP proposed to construct a reverse-osmosis seawater desalination plant at Port Bonython to provide water for the expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine.

During the preparation of the Olympic Dam Expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement, scientists discovered that the region's population of Giant Australian Cuttlefish was genetically distinct and that it was vulnerable to increased salinity and changes in pH, particularly during embryo development.

[citation needed] Numerous people expressed concern about the potential impact of the plant on Spencer Gulf's salinity including prawn fishermen,[17] tuna growers,[18] scientists[17][19] and environmentalists.

A competitive tendering process to plan, build and operate the common user Port Bonython Bulk Commodities Export Facility was facilitated by the South Australian Government with the contract awarded in 2008.

Prospective miners with iron ore deposits in the state's far north, including within the Woomera Protected Area were the most likely to utilize the facility, were it ever constructed.

[28] BHP also expressed interest in considering Port Bonython for the potential future export of copper concentrates to China, were the Olympic Dam mine to expand to an open cut operation.

In 2011, a plan to develop a Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) plant was proposed by Deepak Fertilizers[32] and was abandoned the following year owing partly to the location.

[33] The TAN plant proposal prompted accusations of State government deception, made by the community action group, Save Point Lowly.

It covers a section of inshore breeding habitat immediately to the west of the proposed Port Bonython Bulk Commodities Export Facility.

It is located on the western side of the narrow shipping channel and may be subjected to impacts from moving Capesize vessels with limited under-keel clearance.

They have identified alternative locations for the same facilities which would retain employment and other economic benefits for Whyalla's citizens whilst greatly reducing the extent of community and environmental sacrifice.

It is currently a shared use public road which provides access to the Australian Army's Cultana Training Area, Point Lowly lighthouse, beaches, boat ramp and numerous coastal homes and camp sites.

It also provides access for divers and tourists who visit in May through September to view or swim with the Australian giant cuttlefish during their annual inshore breeding aggregation.