Control Achieved Over Fire Incident at Exxon Mobil Refinery in France, Authorities Confirm

In recent developments, local authorities have announced that the fire at Exxon Mobil’s Port Jerome-Gravenchon refinery in northern France, which ignited earlier on Monday, has been successfully brought under control.

According to a statement from the Seine-Maritime prefecture, the fire originated at a gasoline distillation unit around 3:30 p.m. (1430 GMT), resulting in the emission of dense smoke plumes. Notably, external fire brigade services were deemed unnecessary as the company’s internal firefighting team effectively managed to contain the blaze.

Situated in Normandy along the Seine river, the refinery boasts two distillery towers and a production capacity of 240,000 barrels per day (bpd), positioning it as one of France’s largest refineries. Its primary supply region encompasses the Ile-de-France area, including Paris.

Addressing the human toll, an ExxonMobil spokesperson confirmed that three individuals received medical attention on-site, with two subsequently transferred to a local hospital for further treatment. Assessing the fire’s impact on production remains premature at this stage, the spokesperson noted.

Furthermore, both ExxonMobil and local authorities emphasized that air quality in the surrounding vicinity remained unaffected. Comprehensive air sampling has been conducted to ascertain the situation’s environmental implications.

Image source: APA