Key facts
- One worker was killed and at least eight others injured in an explosion and fire at MRPL's refinery in Mangaluru, India.
- The blast occurred in the Coker Hydrotreater Unit's Cold Separator.
- The refinery has a capacity of 15 million tonnes per year and produces diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.
- MRPL had planned to operate above 100% capacity through March 2027 to address tight diesel supplies.
- The company declared force majeure on gasoline exports earlier in 2026 due to disrupted crude supplies from the Iran conflict.
A significant explosion and subsequent fire at India's Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) refinery on Wednesday resulted in one fatality and at least eight injuries. The incident occurred around noon local time in the Coker Hydrotreater Unit's Cold Separator, part of the refinery's Phase 3 complex. The blast was powerful enough to be heard over 10 kilometers away and took approximately two and a half hours to extinguish. MRPL, a subsidiary of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, has stated it immediately isolated the affected unit and deployed its emergency response teams. The extent of the damage and the expected downtime for the unit have not yet been disclosed.
The accident comes at a critical juncture for India's fuel market, which is already grappling with tight supplies due to disruptions from the Iran war and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. MRPL had been planning to operate its 15-million-tonne-per-year refinery above its normal capacity through March 2027 to meet demand for diesel and other petroleum products. Earlier in 2026, the company declared force majeure on gasoline exports due to these supply chain issues. The immediate market impact will hinge on MRPL's ability to maintain overall refinery operations while the damaged hydrotreater is inspected and repaired, as no broader refinery shutdown has been announced.