Italy's oil major Eni SpA (NYSE:E) said on Thursday that a fire broke out earlier in the day at the Eni Slurry Technology (EST) plant in its Sannazzaro de' Burgondi refinery in northern Italy, confirming that no injuries have been reported in the incident.
The Italian company said that there was no explosion at the plant, dismissing earlier reports by Italian media, and added that the fire has been contained.
Eni shut down immediately the EST plant, which uses proprietary technology for the conversion of heavy oil residues into refined products, gasoline and gasoil, and isolated the plant from the rest of the refinery.
The company is currently investigating the causes of the fire and said it would update the market when more information becomes available.
Local Italian media in the province of Pavia, where the Sannazzaro de' Burgondi refinery is located, are uploading videos and images of the fire that people have been sending since the fire broke out.
Schools in Sannazzaro and several other townships near the site of the refinery will remain closed on Friday, while the environmental protection agency is working to ascertain the damage to the environment.
Healthcare authorities say there are no risks for the residents' health. There would be no serious consequences for people's health, probably because the product that has been burning had been a refined product.
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According to La Provincia Pavese daily, local authorities were advising residents to stay at home, close their windows and wait for updates.
The fire is visible from tens of miles away, eye witnesses told La Repubblica daily.
Roberto Fuggini from the civil protection department said that this was one of the biggest incidents ever at this facility.
In July, another fire at the same site injured a 30-year-old worker who suffered burns.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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