Fire Breaks Out at Viva Oil Refinery in Corio
An explosive fire erupted at the Viva oil refinery in Corio, Geelong, which supplies half of Victoria's fuel and 10% of Australia's. The incident has impacted petrol production, with authorities stating that the full extent of the damage remains unknown.
The blaze began shortly after 11pm on Wednesday night, prompting multiple emergency calls reporting explosions and flames. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to the incident, confirming that the fire was not yet under control but contained to the plant's area of origin, involving liquid fuels and gases.
"The fire is not yet under control although is currently contained to the plant/area of origin and involves liquid fuels and gases," FRV stated at 5am on Thursday.
All emergency personnel and Viva employees have been accounted for, with no injuries reported.
Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Measures
A watch and act alert was issued at 1am, advising local residents to shelter indoors. This alert was downgraded to an advice message by 5:30am on the VicEmergency website, indicating the threat had reduced and residents could resume normal activities.
"The fire is still being fought by fire fighters but there is no threat to the public," the advisory read.
Refinery Capacity and Supply Context
The Viva refinery processes approximately 120,000 barrels of oil daily. It is one of only two remaining oil refineries in Australia. Last month, the company maintained fuel supplies despite geopolitical tensions involving Iran, as it does not rely on Middle Eastern fuel sources.
Fire Details and Response Efforts
FRV Chief Fire Officer Michael McGuinness told ABC Radio before 7am that the fire was contained within the Mogas (motorgas) section of the refinery, covering an area roughly 30 meters by 30 meters. He estimated the fire could continue burning for another three to four hours.
"The fire is mainly being fed by various types of hydrocarbon fuels, predominantly liquid petrol," McGuinness said.
Specialist hazardous materials teams have deployed atmospheric monitoring and are testing fire water runoff, with no contaminants detected so far.
Official Statements and Industry Impact
Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj described the fire as "unprecedented" in scale.
Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt emphasized that the immediate priority was to secure the site safely before considering production resumption.
"We’ll only start increasing production again once we’re confident we can do that safely," Wyatt said.
He confirmed the fire occurred in the petrol area, which will naturally affect petrol product availability.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that petrol, diesel, and jet fuel production continued at reduced levels as a safety measure, acknowledging that petrol production would be impacted for some time.
"I’m sure that petrol production will continue but it may be impacted for some time," Bowen told ABC News Breakfast.
Bowen indicated an investigation into the fire's cause would take place, noting it currently appears accidental.
"It appears to an accident at this point," he said.
He also acknowledged the timing was challenging amid fuel security concerns but noted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was making progress in securing additional overseas fuel supplies despite a tense international environment.
Calls for Fuel Restrictions and Worker Safety
Energy analyst Gero Farruggio from Rystad Energy recommended the government implement stage-three fuel restrictions following the blaze.
"The first thing I thought of when I saw that [fire] is that we can’t avoid stage three now," Farruggio said on ABC Radio Melbourne.
"Stage three should come in sooner rather than later, just to secure our supplies and manage demand and ensure we have enough reserves to get through this period."
Ronnie Hayden, Victorian branch secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, reported that between 50 and 100 workers were on site when the fire started and that the evacuation proceeded as planned.
"These guys have been highly trained in emergency response and emergency evacuation, and I think that’s the main reason why there were no fatalities," Hayden said.
He anticipated the fire would be extinguished within a few hours, after which the impact could be assessed more accurately.
"We don’t know until we actually get in. We’re just speculating. I’d be surprised if we weren’t shut down for a few days, but it could be a lot longer. It could get it done quicker. We just need to get in and have a look."
Hayden described the Viva refinery as a 70-year-old facility requiring regular maintenance, with health and safety representatives actively identifying and addressing issues.
"Our health and safety rep members are out there, and they identify the issues, and most of them get fixed up pretty quickly."
