Authorities reported that a significant fire erupted at an Australian oil refinery due to equipment failure, impacting the national fuel supply. The fire occurred at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery, located 65 km southwest of Melbourne, and started around 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday, continuing into Thursday morning. This refinery is crucial, accounting for about 10% of Australia’s fuel production.
Michelle Cowling, the deputy commissioner of the fire and rescue service in Victoria, stated that the fire resulted from equipment malfunction within the refinery. She mentioned plans for a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the cause. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen mentioned that while petrol production might be affected, diesel and jet fuel production should remain unaffected. He acknowledged the challenging timing of the fire amidst the ongoing oil supply crisis in the Middle East.
The Australian government had recently agreed to subsidize the operations of the Geelong refinery and another refinery in Brisbane until the 2030s. Fire Rescue Victoria reported that the fire originated in the refinery’s motor gasoline unit, with flames reaching heights of up to 60 meters. Fortunately, all emergency responders and workers were safe, with no injuries reported. The fire, fueled by various hydrocarbon fuels, was expected to burn for several more hours on Thursday morning.
