Blaze at Key Australian Refinery Sparks Fuel Supply Concerns

email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

Geelong: A major fire triggered by a series of explosions tore through a crucial oil refinery in southern Australia, raising concerns about potential disruptions to the country’s fuel supply, authorities said Thursday.

Flames reaching up to 60 metres erupted late Wednesday after a gas leak ignited at the Viva Energy refinery in Victoria. The facility, located near Geelong, is one of only two operational oil refineries in the country.

Fire Rescue Victoria confirmed the blaze had been contained by Thursday, though it was expected to continue smouldering throughout the day. Residents reported seeing large columns of fire and thick smoke rising from the site.

The refinery, capable of processing up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day, produces about 10 percent of Australia’s fuel, according to company data. Along with the Ampol refinery in Brisbane, it accounts for roughly 10–20 percent of the nation’s total fuel output.

Authorities said the fire severely impacted a section of the plant responsible for producing high-octane petrol, while other units manufacturing jet fuel and diesel were protected after isolation valves were activated.

“This is not a positive development,” said Energy Minister Chris Bowen, noting that the incident comes as Australia faces mounting pressure on fuel supplies due to the Middle East conflict.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, currently in Malaysia, said the government had already secured an additional 100 million litres of diesel from Brunei and South Korea to offset potential shortages.

Incident controller Mark McGuinness described the blaze as “ferocious,” saying a significant leak of highly flammable gases and liquid hydrocarbons triggered the explosions.

“It went from a small fire through several explosions to a large, intense fire,” he said.

Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt said ensuring safety at the site was the immediate priority, adding that restoring production would come later.

Australia, which imports the majority of its fuel, holds about 38 days’ worth of petrol reserves—well below the 90-day benchmark set by the International Energy Agency.

The government has urged the public not to panic buy fuel and to conserve usage where possible, including opting for public transport.

Like many countries in the region, Australia depends heavily on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been severely disrupted following recent military strikes involving the United States and Iran.