Viva Energy Geelong refinery alkylation-unit fire — update
- Fire occurred in the refinery’s Alkylation unit, part of the Gasoline complex.
- Emergency response contained the fire, which was fully extinguished by late Thursday morning; all onsite personnel accounted for.
- Geelong Refinery expects diesel and jet fuel production at approximately 80% capacity and petrol at approximately 60%, and says it has sufficient stocks to cover reduced output.
- Company expects to lift production above 90% within the next few weeks subject to plant inspections and will conduct a full investigation into the cause.
Incident and response
Viva Energy confirms the fire broke out late on Wednesday in the refinery’s Alkylation unit, part of the broader Gasoline complex. The refinery’s emergency response team, Fire Rescue Victoria and emergency services contained the fire, which was fully extinguished by late Thursday morning. Every person onsite has been safely accounted for.
Operational impact
Most major processing units were unaffected. Following the incident, the Geelong Refinery expects to be producing diesel and jet fuel at approximately 80% of capacity and petrol at approximately 60%. The Company states it has sufficient fuel stocks to cover this reduced production and expects to maintain normal fuel supply.
Recovery and investigation
Subject to plant inspection, the Company expects to be in a position over the next few weeks to lift production of diesel, jet fuel and petrol to over 90% of capacity. Viva Energy’s CEO said the company is committed to conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire and will progressively restore production once it is confident it is safe to do so.
Source: Viva Energy