An intense fire broke out at a major oil refinery in Geelong, located southwest of Melbourne, late Wednesday night. The incident occurred at the Corio refinery operated by Viva Energy, triggering explosions and flames that took nearly 13 hours to bring under control.
According to Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt, the fire caused damage to two gasoline production units, although other parts of the refinery remained unaffected.
Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that the incident comes at a challenging time, as the country has already been facing pressure on fuel supplies following tensions linked to the conflict in Iran.
The Geelong refinery is one of Australia’s key fuel processing facilities, handling approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day. It supplies around 50% of fuel demand in Victoria and contributes roughly 10% to the nation’s total fuel production.
Authorities are currently assessing the full impact of the fire, with concerns growing over potential disruptions to fuel supply in the region.
