PUTRAJAYA: Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the procurement of an additional 100 million litres of diesel from Brunei and South Korea to bolster fuel supply, amid concerns over potential shortages following a fire at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong.
“This is the first of many expected shipments secured under the government’s new strategic reserve powers, with the support of Export Finance Australia,” he said at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on Thursday.
Earlier, Albanese held a one-on-one meeting with Anwar during his three-day official visit to Malaysia from April 15 to 17.
Albanese said this in response to a reporter’s question about the incident, which raised concerns over potential fuel shortages in parts of Australia.
He expressed relief that no workers were harmed during what he described as “very distressing scenes”, adding that the blaze had been successfully extinguished.
He also thanked Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and the Country Fire Authority for their swift response.
While a full damage assessment is still underway to determine the impact on the national fuel supply, the Australian prime minister moved quickly to ease potential market anxieties.
Albanese added that the additional supply, equivalent to more than 570,000 barrels, will be directed to areas of greatest need, particularly to support the agricultural sector and ensure farmers can confidently plant and harvest their crops.
“It’s a practical outcome of the engagement and the interventions that my government has had to deal with the consequences of a crisis response right across the other side of the world, but one that is impacting here in our region,” he added.
Earlier, media reports said a major fire broke out overnight at Viva Energy’s oil refinery in Geelong, one of Australia’s last two operational refineries, due to equipment failure.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the blaze was successfully contained to a section of the plant known as the transfer area, and no injuries were reported.
The Corio refinery in Geelong is a critical piece of Australian infrastructure. It processes approximately 120,000 barrels per day, accounting for 50 per cent of Victoria’s total fuel needs and 10 per cent of the national supply. – BERNAMA
