Clad in a grey and green safety jacket, tan pants and black lace-up boots, Anthony Albanese took part in the tour on Wednesday during the first full day of his trip to Brunei and Malaysia.
Along with securing Australia's long-term fuel supplies, Mr Albanese is hoping to use his visit to boost imports of fertiliser-grade urea, which have taken a hit as trade disruptions from the war in the Middle East ripple around the world.
Touring the facility along with Brunei Fertiliser Industries chief executive Harri Kiiski, most of the conversation between the pair was drowned out by the sound of industrial machinery.
The fertiliser plant produces nearly 10 per cent of Australia's urea supplies.
Mr Albanese was shown to the plant's control room where he viewed samples of urea, destined for Australia.
About 600 workers are employed at the plant, which started production in 2022 and at maximum capacity can produce 1.365 million tonnes of fertiliser every year.
Mr Albanese will later visit Brunei's royal palace for an audience with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah: one of the world's richest men and also the world's longest-serving head of state.
While Brunei is a smaller fuel producer than other countries in the region, such as Singapore and Malaysia, Australia still imports nine per cent of its diesel, 11 per cent of its crude oil and 11 per cent of its fertiliser-grade urea from the tiny sultanate.
Australia is also a large provider of food to Brunei, having supplied around three-quarters of its meat imports in 2024.
Mr Albanese's approach of focusing on what Australia brings to the table echoes his negotiations with other Southeast Asian nations, including Singapore, where he sought priority access to fuel supplies by guaranteeing shipments of goods such as liquefied natural gas.
Mr Albanese said it was a great honour to visit the country and meet the sultan, who lives in the world's largest residential palace which includes a private zoo, reportedly containing Bengal tigers.
He has led the strict Muslim monarchy since 1967.
The sultan's extraordinary net worth, reported to run into the tens of billions of dollars, is largely derived from Brunei's petroleum industry.
"I'm very much looking forward to meeting with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, and having the opportunity to reinforce what is a very constructive and positive relationship between our two nations," Mr Albanese told reporters during brief remarks at the Muara Beach Memorial.
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