KEY POINTS
- An explosion at Ryazan oil refinery killed one worker and injured three.
- The incident happened during scheduled maintenance at the refinery.
- The Ryazan refinery has previously been targeted by drone attacks.
Russian news agencies TASS and RIA have reported that one worker was killed and three others were injured in an explosion at an oil refinery in the city of Ryazan, Russia.
Ryazan oil refinery explosion leaves one dead, three injured
The event happened at the site during routine technical maintenance. “Equipment depressurization occurred during scheduled technical works at the plant, performed by employees of the contractor organization,” a refinery representative told TASS. Investigations are underway to determine what caused the equipment to depressurize, which resulted in the explosion.
Although the extent of the workers’ injuries has not been made public, they were quickly transported to a nearby hospital. The issue was swiftly contained by emergency response personnel to stop additional damage, and an evaluation is being conducted to ascertain the full degree of the facility’s impact.
Ryazan refinery previously targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks
According to Reuters, Russian oil giant Rosneft owns the Ryazan refinery, which has been the target of Ukrainian drone assaults in the past. The refinery suffered damage from such an attack in February and had to halt operations. These episodes are a part of the ongoing confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, which has impacted energy and industrial infrastructure more and more.
One of Russia’s biggest refineries, Ryazan will process 13.1 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, or roughly 262,000 barrels per day. Nearly 5% of Russia’s total refining capacity is represented by this. The facility makes a substantial contribution to domestic fuel supply and is essential to the nation’s energy output.
The refinery produced 2.3 million tons of gasoline, 3.4 million tones of diesel, 4.2 million tons of fuel oil, and 1 million tons of jet fuel in 2024, according to data based on sources. These numbers demonstrate how crucial the refinery is to supplying Russia’s energy needs.
To ascertain the precise cause of the explosion and evaluate any possible safety protocol violations, authorities are anticipated to carry out a comprehensive investigation. Regarding the incident, Rosneft has not yet released a comment to the public.
Although there has been no official notification regarding production delays or suspensions, the refinery is also assessing the possible operational impact in the wake of the incident.
