Major fire at Australian oil refinery to impact nation's petrol supplies

Major fire at Australian oil refinery to impact nation's petrol suppliesJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLana LamSydneyAustralian Broadcasting Corporation/Tara WhitchurchThe Viva refinery produces about 120,000 barrels of oil per dayA major fire has broken out at one of Australia's two oil refineries, deepening fears over the nation's petrol supplies amid a global fuel crunch.Emergency crews rushed to Viva's Corio oil refinery in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, just before midnight on Wednesday, after reports of explosions and flames. The refinery produces 50% of Victoria's fuel and 10% of the nation's.No one has been injured, but the blaze continues to burn and has prompted warnings about air quality in the area.The refinery is still partially operational - jet fuel and diesel will continue to be made at reduced levels as a safety precaution - but the government has warned of impacts to petrol production. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the fire was "not great timing" with Australia's fuel supplies under pressure since war broke out in Iran creating a global oil crisis.The price of diesel in Australia has doubled in recent weeks, with fuel stations reporting shortages amid reports of panic buying, while airlines are cutting back some services as jet fuel costs rise."This is not a positive development, but obviously there's a long way to go in terms of working out just what the impact is," Bowen told Nine's Today show on Thursday, adding he is working closely with the company."Obviously, this is very early days."An investigation will be launched into the cause of the fire, Bowen added, but at this stage, "it appears to be an accident".The refinery produces about 120,000 barrels of oil per day, and employs over 1,100 people.Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt said production "is not our primary priority today... it's getting the site safe".He said the f...