Geelong Refinery Fire: Intense Blaze, Quick Response

0:00It's April 16th. Welcome to Sydney News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. A massive fire ripped through the Viva Energy Oil Refinery in Jalong, Australia, starting just after 11 pm on Wednesday night. It took firefighters nearly 12 hours to fully extinguish the blaze, with flames shooting of 30 meters high, fueled by a huge leak of hydrocarbons and gases. The refinery, which kicked off operations back in 1954, processes up to 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily. It pumps out petrol, diesel, liquefy petroleum gas, jet fuel, and even specialty products, like low aromatic fuel for remote areas and materials for. Plastics and banknotes. Around 50 firefighters battled the intense heat using water cannons and fixed hoses, containing it without spread to nearby homes or waterways. Witnesses called it a roaring vacuum like suck, but crews kept it from going worse, earning props from union bosses

1:00for their quick work in a high risk zone. The fire hit the liquefy petroleum gas in low aromatic gasoline production area hardest, but the rest of the plant is running at reduced rates, while still churning out decent petrol, diesel, and jet fuel. Viva Energy says no big supply hit yet, and they'll import if needed to cover Victoria's 50% reliance. Investigators blame a mechanical equipment failure, with no suspicious signs, and they're digging deep to prevent repeats. Fuel stocks look solid nationwide, though Victoria pump prices might tick up soon. Keep an eye on that as production ramps back.