Fire Breaks Out at Lukoil-Owned Ukhta Oil Refinery

A blaze ripped through the small-scale Ukhta oil refinery, controlled by Russian oil major Lukoil, the emergency ministry said on Thursday.

It said the fire hit a diesel processing unit and that one man had been injured. Lukoil declined any immediate comment.

Video footage posted on social media purported to show a huge ball of fire over the refinery. The ministry said the fire has spread through 1,000 square metres.

Interfax news agency, citing an unnamed source, said staff had been evacuated from the plant.

The refinery processed around 2 million tonnes of oil in January to November. 

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Gleb Stolyarov and Natalia Chumakova; Editing by Jon Boyle and David Evans)