One of the United States’s largest oil refineries was set ablaze after a reported explosion, prompting a shelter-in-place order in Port Arthur, Texas.
Port Arthur’s Police Department website featured a notification ordering residents in the area west of Stilwell Boulevard, south of Highway 73, Sabine Pass, and Pleasure Island to shelter in place until the all-clear was given. Despite the plant’s sensitivity, Sheriff Zena Stephens said the explosion was likely caused by an industrial heater, KFDM reported.
First responders arrived quickly on the scene and put out the flames. No casualties have been reported.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Port Arthur Police Department.
The facility, operated by Valero, processes roughly 380,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters. It produces gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
While no casualties were reported, the scale of the explosion and fire is certain to shut down part of the facility for some period of time. This is likely to further increase oil prices, which are already reeling over the war with Iran and the related blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Oil infrastructure in Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia has wreaked havoc on global energy prices.
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Senior Research Analyst Joe Truzman reported that pro-Tehran Iranian social media accounts celebrated the explosion at the Valero facility, with some reporting sabotage, but no evidence has been provided.
