Fire at Ecuador's largest oil refinery under control, Petroecuador says
3/2/2026 12:00:00 PM
A fire at Petroecuador's Esmeraldas oil refinery, the country's largest, temporarily halted operations after a fire broke out in the charge pumps of one of its units, the state oil company said, adding the blaze had been brought under control.
The fire started in the charge pumps of the SEVIA unit, which processes vacuum residue to reduce its viscosity and produce fuel oil, the company said in a statement.
The plant has a processing capacity of 110,000 barrels of oil per day.
"The flames seen in videos circulating on social media correspond to the combustion of spilled material and do not pose a risk of spreading," Petroecuador said.
It did not specify the cause of the fire, the second incident at the refinery this year.
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