A massive fire has broken out at a significant oil refinery in Victoria, Australia, sending plumes of smoke visible for miles. The incident occurred at the Geelong Oil Refinery, one of only two remaining refineries in the country. Emergency services are currently on-site working to contain the blaze.

Owned and operated by Viva Energy, the Geelong Refinery is situated in the port city of Geelong at the eastern tip of Corio Bay. The facility, classified as a “major hazard facility” due to handling flammable fuel, is committed to maintaining safe operations according to Viva Energy’s website.

Employing over 1,100 individuals, the Geelong Refinery plays a critical role in supplying more than half of Victoria’s fuel and approximately 10% of Australia’s fuel, as reported on the Viva Energy website. With a daily processing capacity of up to 120,000 barrels of oil, the refinery produces a variety of fuels including petrol, diesel, LPG, jet fuel, avgas, and low aromatic fuel.

The Country Fire Authority has issued a Watch and Act warning for several suburbs in and around Geelong, such as Corio, Norlane, North Geelong, and Newtown, following the fire outbreak just after midnight local time. VicEmergency has cautioned residents about smoke spreading towards northern regions of Geelong due to a change in wind direction.

Images depict flames and thick smoke emanating from the Geelong Refinery, a key oil processing facility owned by Viva Energy in Corio near Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Originally established by Shell Australia in 1954, the refinery transitioned to Viva Energy’s operations after its sale by Royal Dutch Shell to Vitol in 2014.