Australia's Viva Energy Refinery Fire Reduces Output

The company said the facility is operating at reduced capacity following a major fire last week after a gas leak.

By Daniel Georgakos

Source dpa (TNS)

April 20, 2026

2 min read

Some damage is visible at the Viva Energy Geelong refinery in Corio after a significant fire broke out, affecting petrol production at one of Australia's two refineries following reports of flames and explosions.

Melbourne — A major fire at one of Australia's two operational oil refineries was extinguished on Thursday, April 16, after burning overnight, the fire service said, but concerns remained over possible disruption to petrol supplies.

Firefighters responded late on Wednesday after reports of explosions and flames at Viva Energy's refinery in Geelong, some 70 kilometres west of Melbourne, Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement.

The fire at the MOGAS, or motor gasoline, unit was brought under control around 13 hours later, the fire service said. No injuries were reported.

Viva Energy says the refinery in Geelong, one of two remaining refineries in Australia, supplies over 50% of the fuel used in the state of Victoria and 10% of Australia's total fuel needs. The refinery can process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

It comes as Australia is already facing pressure on fuel supplies linked to the war in the Middle East.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen told public broadcaster ABC on Thursday morning that the main impact appeared to be on petrol production, while diesel and jet fuel were still being produced at reduced levels as a safety precaution.

"I'm sure petrol production will continue, but it may be impacted for some time obviously," the minister said, calling the fire "not great timing."

Incident Controller Anthony Pearce later told a press conference that the exact cause of the blaze was still being investigated, but confirmed there was a gas leak.

"There was a leak of gas from a mechanical component in the system," he said.

"The gas has then appeared to have ignited, but the details of the investigation will come to light in days to come."

Authorities said there had been no immediate danger to the public, though residents in the area were advised to keep their windows closed as a precaution. The full extent of the damage and any longer-term impact remain unclear.