Geelong Refinery Fire Extinguished After 12 Hours, No Injuries Reported
A major fire at the Viva Energy oil refinery in Geelong, Australia, was extinguished after burning for more than 12 hours. The blaze, described as unprecedented, began just after 11 pm on Wednesday due to a gas leak caused by a faulty mechanical part in the mogas alkylation plant. Although up to 50 staff were present during the incident, all escaped unharmed. Nearby residents were ordered to shelter indoors as firefighters battled intense flames and multiple explosions that left the site resembling a war zone. The fire was finally contained by 12:04 pm on Thursday. While the Geelong refinery is one of only two remaining in Australia, contributing significantly to national fuel supply, Viva Energy stated that production of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel continues at decent rates, with the impact currently limited to LPG and low aromatic gasoline production. Experts note that the facility's age and high-temperature operations increase risk. Investigations into the specific equipment failure are ongoing.
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Geelong Refinery Fire Extinguished After 12 Hours, No Injuries Reported
A major fire at the Viva Energy oil refinery in Geelong, Australia, was extinguished after burning for more than 12 hours. The blaze, described as unprecedented, began just after 11 pm on Wednesday due to a gas leak caused by a faulty mechanical part in the mogas alkylation plant. Although up to 50 staff were present during the incident, all escaped unharmed. Nearby residents were ordered to shelter indoors as firefighters battled intense flames and multiple explosions that left the site resembling a war zone. The fire was finally contained by 12:04 pm on Thursday. While the Geelong refinery is one of only two remaining in Australia, contributing significantly to national fuel supply, Viva Energy stated that production of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel continues at decent rates, with the impact currently limited to LPG and low aromatic gasoline production. Experts note that the facility's age and high-temperature operations increase risk. Investigations into the specific equipment failure are ongoing.
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