Fire out and shelter-in-place order is lifted after oil refinery explosion near Texas coast
apnews.com
Officials say an oil refinery fire near the Texas coast has been put out and a shelter-in-place order has been lifted following air quality testing.

A large explosion at an oil refinery near the Texas coast on Monday shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced nearby residents to shelter in place, according to officials.

No one was injured in the explosion at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Houston, Mayor Charlotte M. Moses said. She urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to stay put, saying fire fighters had arrived.

The explosion comes amid a spike in gas prices driven by uncertainty over the global oil supply because of the Iran war.

  • Drusas@fedia.io
    5·
    4 days ago

    But if the refinery’s diesel hydrotreater unit was damaged, that could likely exacerbate the prices of diesel and jet fuel, which have already gone up because of the Iran war… Even without the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the lack of production from this plant due to a fire would still affect diesel and jet fuel prices as it would “have a huge impact on the amount of diesel that gets into the marketplace,” Krishnamoorti said. But the war will make the impact worse, he added.

    Most goods in the U.S. are moved by trucks that run on diesel, and increased transportation costs will eventually be felt by consumers, Krishnamoorti said.

    Effective attack, assuming it was.