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Thu, 16 Apr 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 'Unprecedented' fire at Australian oil refinery to impact nation's petrol supplies

The fire has deepened fears over the nation's petrol supplies amid a global crunch.
A fire at Australia's Viva Energy refinery in Geelong has been extinguished after burning for 13 hours, but its impact on petrol supplies remains uncertain. The refinery produces 50% of Victoria's fuel and 10% of the nation's, and is still partially operational. Energy Minister Chris Bowen warned that the fire will have an effect on petrol production, which is already under pressure due to a global oil crisis caused by the war in Iran. The price of diesel has doubled in recent weeks, with fuel stations reporting shortages amid reports of panic buying. The cause of the fire was attributed to equipment failure, and there will be an investigation into the incident. Viva Energy's chief executive said that petrol production will be affected, but imported refined fuels from countries like Singapore and Malaysia are expected to mitigate any short-term impact on domestic fuel availability.