Deadly Blast Hits Major Indian Refinery as Fuel Markets Tighten
Deadly Blast Hits Major Indian Refinery as Fuel Markets Tighten A major explosion and fire have hit one of India’s largest refineries just as the country is pushing its plants above normal operating rates to offset tight fuel supplies caused by the Iran war.
One worker was killed, and at least eight others were injured Wednesday after a high-pressure Cold Separator ruptured in the Coker Hydrotreater Unit at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.’s 15-million-tonne-per-year refinery in Mangaluru, according toMRPL and local authorities.
The explosion occurred around noon local time and triggered a fire that took roughly two and a half hours to extinguish.
MRPL said it immediately isolated the affected unit and deployed its emergency response and firefighting teams.
The company has not yet disclosed how long the Coker Hydrotreater Unit will remain offline or whether the accident will reduce overall refinery throughput.
The blast was powerful enough to be heard more than 10 kilometers away, withlocal reportsdescribing broken windows and damage to buildings around the refinery.
Any prolonged disruption would come at a difficult time for India’s fuel market.
MRPL had planned to operate its Mangaluru refineryabove 100% of capacitythrough March 2027 as refiners respond to tight diesel supplies and high margins following the disruption of Middle Eastern energy flows.
The state-controlled refiner has already been forced to adjust its operations this year.
MRPLdeclared force majeureon gasoline exports earlier in 2026 as the Iran conflict disrupted crude supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Coker Hydrotreater Unit is part of MRPL’s Phase 3 complex and treats products from the refinery’s coking operations to remove sulfur and other contaminants.
The extent of damage to the unit has not yet been disclosed.
| Product | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Crude | $102.14/bbl | +0.34% |
| WTI Crude | $96.90/bbl | +0.21% |
| EN590 Diesel | $846/MT | +0.18% |
| Jet Fuel A-1 | $1090/MT | +0.55% |
| Mazut M100 | $450/MT | -0.15% |
| Bitumen 60/70 | $470/MT | +0.08% |
| Sulphur Gran 99.5% | $470/MT | -0.44% |
| Urea 46% Gran | $650/MT | +1.12% |
| NPK 16-16-16 | $460/MT | -0.28% |
| Nat Gas TTF | $15.42/MMBtu | +0.92% |
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