An out-of-control fire at one of Australia’s two remaining oil refineries will hit supplies of petrol and diesel overnight.
A fire broke out at the Viva Energy facility in the Geelong suburb of Corio, an hour southwest of Melbourne, just after 11pm on Wednesday evening – authorities confirmed the fire had not yet been brought under control. No injuries were reported.
A spokesman for the Australian Workers’ Union said the fire started in the kerosene production area, but said the oil supply was linked to petrol and diesel production at the refinery.
The oil refinery is expected to process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day and supply more than 50 per cent of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG to Victoria.
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“Currently, production of kerosene and diesel at the refinery continues at reduced levels for safety reasons and as a precautionary measure,” Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen told Channel Nine Today Program.
“At this point the impact is mainly on gasoline production, but of course this is still very early.”
The exact impact on the state’s fuel supply is unknown at this time, and it is not yet clear how long it will take for repairs to be made.
The incident couldn’t have happened at a worse time Daily Sparkz Last month, the company reported that Australia’s other oil refinery in Brisbane was expected to be shut down for six weeks – starting in August 2026 – due to planned maintenance by owner Ampol.
“The important role that Australian refiners play in supporting the resilience of our domestic fuel supply is reinforced in the current global oil market environment,” said Matt Halliday, managing director and CEO of Ampol.
Fire Rescue Victoria said the fire at the Corio factory was contained to an area of approximately 30 meters by 30 metres, with 50 appliances currently battling flames of up to 60 metres. The Age Reports.
Because the sensors were damaged in the fire, it is unknown how much fuel is left to fuel the fire. The cause is also currently unknown.
Although there is no danger to the public, a smoke warning has been issued for Geelong residents.
On Monday (April 13), Mr Bowen reported that Australia had about 38 days of petrol reserves, 31 days of diesel and 28 days of jet fuel in reserve.
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