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HomeAsiaHuge blaze at Australian refinery threatens petrol supply amid global oil crisis

Huge blaze at Australian refinery threatens petrol supply amid global oil crisis

A fire at one of Australia’s two operating oil refineries could hit petrol production more than diesel and aviation fuel, authorities said on Thursday, as emergency crews worked overnight to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters were battling flames as tall as 60 metres (200 feet) at Viva ‌Energy’s motor petrol production unit at its Geelong refinery in Victoria state, which processes crude into high-octane petrol. No injuries have been reported from the fire, which emergency crews were alerted to at about 11pm on Wednesday.

“The fire is not yet under control. So, there’s still some way to go. This is not a positive development, but obviously there’s a long way to go in terms of working out just what the impact is,” Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen told ⁠Channel Nine.

The incident comes as Australia seeks to shore up fuel security amid global supply disruptions due to the Middle East conflict that have led to local panic buying of petrol and diesel. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is visiting Malaysia on Thursday to discuss securing supplies from regional allies.
Excess gas is burnt off following a fire at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery on Thursday. Photo: EPA

“At this point, production of jet fuel and diesel is continuing ‌at the refinery at reduced levels for safety reasons, as a precaution … the impact is mainly on ⁠petrol production, but obviously, this is ⁠very early days,” Bowen said.

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