An 'unprecedented' fire has broken out at one of the country's two oil refineries in Australia
A major fire has broken out at the country’s largest of two operational oil refineries in Australia.
This was reported by the BBC and The Guardian.
The fire broke out on 15 April after 11.00 pm (local time). The fire service received reports of ‘explosions and flames’ at the Viva Corio oil refinery in Geelong — the second-largest city in the state of Victoria, home to a major seaport.
Viva Corio is one of two oil refineries in Australia that are still in operation. It supplies half of Victoria’s fuel needs and 10% of the country’s fuel.
The refinery burned for 13 hours before the blaze was brought under control. No one was injured in the fire, and no pollutants were detected in air and water tests.
The state fire service stated that the fire was “likely caused by equipment failure”. The police, together with other relevant authorities and representatives of the refinery, will investigate the incident.
According to Viva Energy, this refinery has a capacity of around 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Last month, the company stated that it was able to maintain supplies despite the war in Iran, as it does not rely on fuel from the Middle East.
Viva Energy director Scott Wyatt has now stated that the safety of the facility is the top priority, rather than any production considerations.
“We will only start ramping up production again once we are confident we can do so safely,” he said.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said that petrol, diesel and aviation fuel continue to be produced at the refinery at reduced levels for safety reasons. But he noted that this would affect petrol production.
The price of diesel in Australia has doubled in recent weeks, with petrol stations reporting shortages amid panic buying. Airlines are cutting back on some services due to rising jet fuel prices.
The fire came at “the worst possible time”, given concerns over fuel security, but the government has assured that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is making “very good progress” in securing additional supplies from overseas in a “heated international climate”.
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