An oil refinery operated by Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in Port Arthur, Texas, was struck by a major explosion followed by a fire, according to local media reports and videos circulating on social media on Monday.
Images and footage shared online showed a large plume of smoke rising from the facility as the blaze spread through part of the refinery. Local authorities responded by issuing a shelter-in-place advisory for certain areas of the city.
The Port Arthur site is one of the largest refineries in the United States, with an estimated processing capacity of roughly 380,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
It was not immediately known whether operations at the refinery had been disrupted. Valero did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.