Cosmo Oil’s 220,000 bbl/day Chiba refinery still in flames

15 March 2011 09:46  [Source: ICIS news]

TOKYO (ICIS)--Cosmo Oil's 220,000 bbl/day refinery in Ichihara, Chiba prefecture, remained in flames on Tuesday afternoon, four days after Japan’s massive quake, a company source said.

“It has not been extinguished though (the fire) has become smaller compared to when it first started. We don’t have an idea when it will be put out,” the source said in Japanese.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks at the refinery exploded an hour after the 9.0-magnitude quake struck northeastern Japan on 11 March, injuring five workers at the site, the source said.

“We are focusing on extinguishing the fire. After it’s put out, we’ll examine (the damages),” the source said.

All production and deliveries at and from the refinery were still suspended, he said.

But Cosmo Oil’s refineries in Yokkaichi, Sakai and Sakaide were operating normally, he said.

Additional reporting by Nurluqman Suratman and James Dennis

By: Tomomi Yokomura
+65 6780 4359

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