Major fire breaks out at Australian oil refinery

A major fire broke out overnight at Viva Energy's oil refinery in Geelong, one of Australia's last two operational refineries, due to equipment failure, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Thursday.

Fire Rescue Victoria Deputy Commissioner Michelle Cowling said the fire was contained to a section of the plant known as the transfer area and was not affecting diesel, gasoline or petroleum production.

"So that won't add to the already stressed fuel issues that we're having," she said.

Viva Energy is launching an investigation.

Cowling explained the difficulty in extinguishing the blaze, saying an LPG tower with an open valve could not be physically accessed due to the heat and that engineers were working remotely to drain the tank.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the facility was still producing diesel and jet fuel but at reduced levels as a precaution.

Victoria's energy minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, said the fire had not directly impacted diesel or jet fuel production and that she had been assured by Viva Energy that there was no immediate impact on fuel supply, despite other production units being scaled back for safety reasons.

No injuries were reported. The Corio refinery processes approximately 120,000 barrels per day. This amount accounts for 50% of Victoria’s fuel needs and 10% of the nation’s total.