A large industrial fire has broken out at the Viva Energy oil refinery in Geelong, Victoria, raising serious concerns about Australia's already strained fuel supply chain. Emergency services responded to the blaze at the facility on Wednesday, with crews working to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent processing units. The refinery, located on the shores of Corio Bay approximately 75 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, is one of only two operational oil refineries remaining in the country.
The Viva Energy Geelong refinery processes approximately 120,000 barrels of crude oil per day and supplies roughly half of Victoria's total fuel needs, including petrol, diesel, and jet fuel. The facility also produces a significant share of fuel distributed across south-eastern Australia, feeding supply lines into New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania. Fire and Rescue Victoria deployed multiple crews to the scene, while Viva Energy confirmed it had activated its emergency response protocols and was working with authorities to assess the extent of the damage.
Australia's fuel security has been a persistent vulnerability since the closure of multiple refineries over the past two decades, leaving only the Geelong plant and Ampol's Lytton refinery in Brisbane as the nation's sole domestic refining operations. The country imports more than 90 per cent of its refined fuel products, a dependency that has drawn repeated warnings from defence and energy analysts. The timing of the Geelong fire is particularly acute given the ongoing disruption to global oil markets stemming from escalating tensions involving Iran, which have already pushed crude oil prices higher and tightened international fuel supply.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen is expected to provide an update on the government's response, with officials monitoring the situation closely for any immediate impact on fuel availability at the bowser. Industry analysts have warned that even a short-term shutdown of the Geelong refinery could trigger supply shortages and price spikes across Victoria and neighbouring states within days. The Australian Institute of Petroleum has urged motorists not to panic-buy, while fuel retailers have begun assessing contingency supply arrangements from import terminals.
The duration of the refinery's shutdown will depend on the severity of damage to key processing infrastructure, with initial assessments expected within 48 to 72 hours. If the facility remains offline for an extended period, the federal government may need to draw on Australia's minimum stockholding obligation reserves or expedite additional fuel imports to prevent widespread shortages. The incident is likely to reignite debate over Australia's long-term fuel security strategy, including proposals for increased onshore storage capacity and greater investment in domestic refining capability.