A major fire at one of Australia's two oil refineries has been extinguished, but the damage has deepened fears over the nation's petrol supplies amid a global fuel crunch. Emergency crews rushed to Viva's Corio oil refinery in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, just before midnight on Wednesday, after reports of explosions and flames.
The blaze was put out on Thursday after burning for 13 hours. No one was injured, with dozens of workers on site when it broke out evacuated safely. The refinery, which produces 50% of Victoria's fuel and 10% of the nation's, is still partially operational, but the government has warned of impacts to petrol production.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that the fire comes at a challenging time as Australia's fuel supplies come under pressure following the outbreak of the Iran war, leading to a global oil crisis. Diesel prices in Australia have doubled recently, with fuel stations reporting shortages and airlines cutting back services due to rising jet fuel costs.
Bowen commented, 'This is not a positive development, but obviously there's a long way to go in terms of working out just what the impact is.' The cause of the fire has been attributed to 'equipment failure,' and an investigation is currently underway. The refinery processes approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day and employs over 1,100 people.
Viva Energy's chief executive reported that while two petrol production units were affected, other units remain undamaged. However, petrol and jet fuel may be produced at reduced levels until safety is assured. Experts note that Australia relies heavily on imported refined fuels, minimizing the impact of this incident on domestic supply availability.
The blaze was put out on Thursday after burning for 13 hours. No one was injured, with dozens of workers on site when it broke out evacuated safely. The refinery, which produces 50% of Victoria's fuel and 10% of the nation's, is still partially operational, but the government has warned of impacts to petrol production.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that the fire comes at a challenging time as Australia's fuel supplies come under pressure following the outbreak of the Iran war, leading to a global oil crisis. Diesel prices in Australia have doubled recently, with fuel stations reporting shortages and airlines cutting back services due to rising jet fuel costs.
Bowen commented, 'This is not a positive development, but obviously there's a long way to go in terms of working out just what the impact is.' The cause of the fire has been attributed to 'equipment failure,' and an investigation is currently underway. The refinery processes approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day and employs over 1,100 people.
Viva Energy's chief executive reported that while two petrol production units were affected, other units remain undamaged. However, petrol and jet fuel may be produced at reduced levels until safety is assured. Experts note that Australia relies heavily on imported refined fuels, minimizing the impact of this incident on domestic supply availability.
