Fire damages Viva Energy refinery in Geelong

TL;DR

A major fire caused by equipment failure broke out late Wednesday at Viva Energy's Geelong refinery, damaging gasoline production units.
The blaze burned for 13 hours, affected 50% of Victoria's fuel supply, and forced reduced output of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel.
It worsens national fuel shortages from Middle East war, with analysts warning of tighter security and possible price hikes.

The story at a glance

A significant fire erupted just after 11pm on April 15 at Viva Energy's refinery in Corio, Geelong, due to a piping failure that leaked hydrocarbons and sparked explosions. Fire Rescue Victoria, Viva staff, police, and WorkSafe contained it after 13 hours with no injuries reported. The incident hits at a time of strained fuel supplies from global tensions, including the US-Iran conflict closing the Strait of Hormuz. The refinery supplies 50% of Victoria's and 10% of Australia's fuel.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)[[2]](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/significant-fire-breaks-out-viva-energys-refinery-australia-authorities-say-2026-04-15)

Key points

Fire started in the Mogas section from equipment failure, leading to a leak, multiple explosions, flames up to 60m high, and toxic smoke over Geelong; contained to 50sqm area.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)
Two gasoline units damaged, cutting petrol production; refinery processes 120,000 barrels of oil daily but now runs at minimum rates for safety, with diesel and jet fuel less affected.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)[[3]](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/australias-viva-energy-says-refinery-units-operating-minimum-rates-after-fire-2026-04-15)
Watch-and-act warnings issued for Geelong suburbs due to smoke; no contaminants detected in air or water, warnings later downgraded.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)
Viva Energy halted trading on the ASX pending damage assessment; no immediate supply disruption but long-term petrol impacts expected amid low national stocks.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)[[4]](https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-geelong-refinery-fire-reveal-about-australias-fuel-supplies-280793)
Investigations underway by Viva, FRV, police, and WorkSafe; fire "could have been catastrophic" if near storage tanks, per firefighters.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)

Details and context

The Geelong refinery is one of Australia's last two operational plants, upgraded with $500m in government-backed investment. It blends regular petrol, makes low-aromatic fuel for remote areas, and aviation gasoline. Maintenance was recently delayed due to Middle East tensions but unrelated to the fire.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)

Australia sits at stage two of fuel emergency measures, with reserves at 38 days for petrol, 31 for diesel, and 28 for jet fuel. The fire adds pressure as imports rise from the Hormuz Strait closure.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)

About 100 personnel fought the blaze, including FRV's boat in Corio Bay; workers evacuated safely despite close calls with the fireball.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)

Key quotes

"They contained this fire really, really quickly to a small part of the refinery. A fantastic job was done, no firefighters were injured... This could have been a catastrophic fire." – FRV deputy commissioner Michelle Cowling.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)
"At this point, production of jet fuel and diesel is continuing at the refinery at reduced levels for safety reasons... the impact is mainly on petrol production." – Energy Minister Chris Bowen.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)

Why it matters

The fire threatens fuel security in a nation down to two refineries, hitting 10% of national output at a time of global shortages from the Iran war. Victorian drivers face potential petrol price spikes up to 20c/L and tighter supplies, while businesses and airlines monitor diesel/jet fuel. Watch Viva's damage report, production recovery timeline, and any shift to stage three measures like reserves release or import surges.[[1]](https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/significant-fire-breaks-out-at-viva-energy-s-refinery-in-geelong-20260416-p5zoa4.html)[[5]](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/16/victoria-fuel-prices-geelong-viva-oil-refinery-fire)