Together with the police, Statoil personnel have inspected the site at the crude oil facility linked to the Mongstad refinery where fire broke out early this morning, 12 July.
”The extent of the damage is less than expected, and I would like to praise all those who took part in the firefighting,” says Mongstad vice president Bjørn Kåre Viken. “The fire was extinguished and the site cooled down quickly and effectively.”
He explains that the two people who were slightly injured in the fire, a 22-year old woman and a 52-year old man, have now been released from hospital.
”It’s still too early to say anything about the cause of the fire,” continues Mr Viken. “The police will have to carry out an investigation, and we will initiate an in-house commission of inquiry.”
The task of repairing the damage will start as soon as the area has been cleared by the police. Repair work is expected to take some weeks. In the meantime, capacity at the refinery will be about 50 per cent.
Statoil will do its utmost to meet its delivery commitments for petrol, diesel and other products.