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Australia’s Geelong refinery fire extinguished: Update
Australia’s Geelong refinery fire extinguished: Update
Adds fire extinguished status, cause of incident and impact on operations. Sydney, 16 April (Argus) — A fire that broke out at Viva Energy's 120,000 b/d Geelong refinery in Victoria, Australia on 15 April has been extinguished, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said at 12:04 AEST (02:04 GMT) today. The incident was first reported at 23:07 local time, on 15 April with onlookers describing explosions and flames. The fire was contained within the motor gasoline plant area and involved liquid fuels and gases, FRV said at 4:58am. The fire was caused by equipment failure, FRV deputy commissioner Michelle Cowling said. "The facility remains running, on reduced production rates... the impacts will be predominantly to the production of gasoline and aviation gasoline," Viva said. "There is no immediate impact to fuel supply" and it expects to "replace any lost production through its fuel import program." A customer of the refinery said Viva had communicated that the fire was isolated to a small area within the motor spirits section and was believed to have been caused by a ruptured pipe. All diesel has been lifted from the Newport terminal, with deliveries continuing on schedule, the customer added. The 111,402dwt Bluefin Pearl , carrying 447,300 bl of crude from South Australia's Cooper basin, arrived off Geelong just hours before the fire started. The shipment was brought forward and split into separate parcels , enabling earlier delivery of part of the volume late last month. Viva said there is no immediate impact on fuel supplies, according to FRV. The refinery supplies about 10pc of Australia's fuel and is the larger of the country's two remaining refineries, alongside Ampol's 109,000 b/d Lytton site in Queensland state, following a series of closures since 2009. Geelong is Australia's only producer of jet fuel, aviation gasoline and bitumen, making it increasingly critical to national fuel security since the outbreak of the US Iran war in late February. Viva produced 99,000 b/d at Geelong last year and will run the refinery until at least 30 June 2030 under a fresh subsidy deal, struck with the federal government last month. Australia has 23mn litres of aviation gasoline used in small aircrafts in storage, energy minister Chris Bowen said. This equates to around 116 days of consumption. Viva said it expects to offset any production losses through imports . Petrol production is likely to be affected in the near term, Bowen said at a press conference today. This follows additional imports secured earlier this week, with the government confirming it had purchased 570,000 bl of gasoil under Australia's new strategic reserve framework. The energy ministers meeting with state, territory and New Zealand counterparts would be held next week as planned, Bowen said. National Cabinet meeting could be convened if conditions deteriorate, but Australia's fuel supply remained stable despite the refinery fire, he added. Trading in Viva Energy securities was halted on 16 April, with normal trading expected to resume by 20 April at the latest. By Tom Major, Tom Woodlock and Lawrence Wen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
War reshapes fuel flows Africa, Pakistan: Clarification
War reshapes fuel flows Africa, Pakistan: Clarification
Clarifies in 8th paragraph that gasoline cargoes with quality issues did not originate from India Dubai, 16 April (Argus) — Gasoline buyers in East Africa and Pakistan are drawing supplies from Europe, India and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea refineries as war-related disruptions delay cargoes flows from key Mideast Gulf exporters, shipping data and market sources. In Kenya, April gasoline supply has so far remained largely intact, but the loss of cargoes from the UAE, which was the country's largest supplier last year, has already shifted sourcing towards Europe, India and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea refineries. No new vessels have been chartered from the UAE since the start of the Iran war, while some Mideast Gulf cargoes bound for Kenya have also been rescheduled, a Kenya-based market source said. UAE supplied 48pc of Kenya's gasoline imports in 2025, data from oil analytics firm Vortexa show. Despite the US-Iran ceasefire announced on 7 April, shipowners remain wary of lifting cargoes from Mideast Gulf ports, with sentiment further dampened by Iranian warnings of retaliation against regional ports following US naval blockade plans . Most of the Mideast Gulf-origin gasoline reaching Kenya is now coming from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports of Yanbu and Jizan, which are located outside the strait of Hormuz. At least 72,000t of finished gasoline has arrived from the two Saudi ports since the conflict began — the first such flows since November. The Kenyan government said supply agreements with Middle East national oil companies remain on track through mid-April, with more deliveries expected by the end of the month . But that contrasts with signs of strain in the domestic transport sector, where operators say some filling stations are seeing long queues while others have run dry. In a circular seen by Argus, the Kenya Transporters Association said some operators were facing fuel rationing, limits on bulk supply and tighter credit from oil marketing companies, despite official assurances that stocks remain sufficient. Europe has increasingly become a notable supplier, with at least six vessels booked since 28 February to transport a total 512,000t of gasoline from Belgium and Latvia to Kenya. In comparison, only two vessels carrying around 120,000t gasoline in December, and one carrying 71,000t in January had headed to Kenya from Europe. India has also stepped in supplying smaller cargoes. Around 60,000t of gasoline was shipped from India to Kenya on the Torm Emma on 2 April, according to Vortexa data. Separately, market participants said some cargoes originally bound for other destinations and later diverted to Kenya had quality challenges, including higher sulphur content and lower octane specifications. A similar pattern is emerging in Tanzania, where Indian gasoline cargoes are making up for the reduced UAE supplies. No vessels have departed the UAE for Tanzania since 28 February, even though the UAE was its second-largest supplier in 2025 after India. In comparison, the UAE shipped around 34,000t of gasoline to Tanzania in February and 38,000t in January this year. The only Mideast Gulf cargo that has reached Tanzania since the war began was a 35,000t shipment from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu refinery — the first such flow from there since December. India shipped about 140,000t to Tanzania in March, up from roughly 70,000t in February, according to ship-tracking data. A local trader said some of those volumes are facing discharge delays because of berth constraints at Tanzanian ports. Pakistan is seeing a similar shift in its gasoline trade flows as well, with European cargoes replacing disrupted Mideast Gulf supplies. At least two vessels — the Lamu and Metro Mistral — are due to discharge in Pakistan in April carrying gasoline from Europe, according to ship-tracking data. But this atypical trade flow is expensive. The Metro Mistral was chartered by TotalEnergies on 10 March at $5.37mn for its Europe-to-Pakistan voyage. In comparison, Oman's OQ chartered a vessel for $1.55mn for a recent Sohar-Pakistan gasoline voyage. The last heard Fujairah-Pakistan booking was around $750,000, up from roughly $500,000 before the war. By Rithika Krishna Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan offers $10bn to secure Asian oil supplies
Japan offers $10bn to secure Asian oil supplies
Osaka, 16 April (Argus) — Japan plans to provide around $10bn in financial aid to help Asian countries secure crude oil supplies and ensure stable shipments of petroleum-derived products to Japan, following disruptions to crude and oil product flows from the Middle East. Tokyo will establish a $10bn financial framework to help Asian partners procure alternative crude supplies, such as from the US, and to strengthen supply chain resilience, prime minister Sanae Takaichi said on 15 April. She warned that fuel shortages in Asia could disrupt Japan's access to essential goods, particularly medical supplies such as dialysis equipment and surgical materials, from the region, with serious consequences for the economy and society. The $10bn support would be equivalent to up to about 1.2bn bl of crude, or roughly one year's worth of imports for Asean countries, Takaichi said. The funding would help fill gaps in the financial capacity or creditworthiness required for crude procurement, even under normal market conditions, she added. Japan does not aims to supply oil to countries hit by Middle East tensions, but to work with Asian partners to build resilient energy and critical minerals supply chains. Japan has not faced a severe domestic crude oil supply shortage, supported by sufficient stockpiles and alternative procurement options such as imports from the US. Overall inventories, including national, private and joint stockpiles, stood at about 221 days of domestic demand as of 13 April, according to preliminary estimates from the trade and industry ministry Meti. Japan's petroleum reserves are primarily intended to meet domestic demand , although the government has not ruled out for the possibility of exporting any surplus supplies. The new partnership with Asia does not involve reallocating Japan's strategic petroleum reserves, and it will have no adverse impact whatsoever on domestic supply and demand, Takaichi said. The financial package will not be limited to procuring alternative crude oil and petroleum products, but will also be used for other purchases, including the construction of oil storage systems and infrastructure to expand crude reserves across Asia, as well as energy diversification into LNG, biofuels, next-generation solar and nuclear power, and critical minerals. Details on the allocation and duration of the financial support have yet to be determined, a foreign ministry official told Argus . Tokyo will not draw on additional budget funds for the initiative, instead using existing resources, mainly through state-owned Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), the official said. Takaichi unveiled the financial plan following the Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community (Azec) Plus meeting, held online on 15 April, to discuss countermeasures against supply disruptions affecting shipments through the strait of Hormuz, which have had the greatest impact on Asian counties. Leaders from 11 Azec member states participated, along with representatives from South Korea, East Timor, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Fire burning at Viva’s Geelong refinery in Australia
Fire burning at Viva’s Geelong refinery in Australia
Sydney, 16 April (Argus) — A fire broke out at Viva Energy's 120,000 b/d Geelong refinery in Australia overnight, and was still burning as of 5:27am local time (19:27 GMT) on 16 April. The incident was first reported at 23:07 local time on 15 April with onlookers describing explosions and flames. The fire is contained to the motor gasoline plant area and involves liquid fuels and gases, Fire and Rescue Victoria said at 4:58am. Smoke is still affecting northern suburbs of the city of Geelong, including Corio where the plant is located. Viva said there is no immediate impact on fuel supplies, according to Fire and Rescue Victoria. The refinery supplies 10pc of Australia's fuel and is the larger of two remaining in the country after a raft of closures since 2009, along with Australian refiner Ampol's 109,000 b/d Lytton site in Queensland state. Geelong is Australia's only refiner of jet fuel, aviation gas and bitumen and has been considered even more critical to the nation's fuel security since the outbreak of the US-Iran war in late February. Viva produced 99,000 b/d at Geelong last year and will run the refinery until at least 30 June 2030 under a fresh subsidy deal, struck with the federal government last month. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.