Viva Energy said a fire at its Geelong refinery last week has been contained, with no injuries reported and fuel supply expected to remain stable.
The incident occurred in the refinery’s alkylation unit, part of the gasoline complex. Emergency crews, including Fire Rescue Victoria, brought the blaze under control by late Thursday morning, with all personnel safely accounted for.
Most processing units were unaffected. The refinery is currently operating at around 80 per cent capacity for diesel and jet fuel, and 60 per cent for petrol. The company said existing fuel stocks are sufficient to maintain normal supply levels.
Viva Energy CEO, Scott Wyatt, confirmed a full investigation into the cause is underway, with production expected to recover to above 90 per cent capacity in the coming weeks, subject to inspections.
Viva Energy stated it does not expect disruptions to fuel availability or price impacts for customers as operations are progressively restored.
The refinery is reported to produce 50 per cent of Victoria’s and 10 per cent of Australia’s fuel.
Victorian Transport Association (VTA) CEO, Peter Anderson, said: “The fire at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery is a stark reminder of just how fragile Australia’s fuel supply chain has become.
“With only two major refineries operating nationally, incidents like this expose the risk to the transport industry and the broader economy when fuel supplies are disrupted – risks that are being further compounded by global instability and fuel shortages linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“This event underscores the urgent need for Australia to expand and strengthen its domestic oil refining capacity, so businesses can have greater confidence that essential fuel supplies won’t be compromised by unforeseen incidents.”
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