Jaipur/Jaisalmer: A fresh oil leakage was reported at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) refinery in Balotra district Friday evening, with smoke seen rising from the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU). Fire tenders were rushed to the affected unit and the situation was brought under control in about 15 minutes, according to preliminary information. No major damage has been reported.In a statement, HPCL said, “At around 18:45 hrs on Aug 14, 2026, hydrocarbon oil spillage was observed in the CDU at HRRL Refinery. As an immediate precautionary measure, the emergency response system was activated and fire-water sprays were deployed from all directions as per the safety norms. The situation was promptly brought under control by the refinery team.”It said there was no fire, no injuries to personnel and no damage to the property. The situation is fully under control, and all necessary safety measures are in place.“All other Refinery process units are operational with normal production of LPG, Diesel, Petrol and Naphtha. 1200 Metric Tonnes of LPG was produced and dispatched to Market today and the production and dispatches are ON,” the statement added.The incident assumes significance as it comes nearly four months after a major fire at the refinery’s CDU on April 20, a day before its scheduled inauguration. The recurrence of a leak-related incident has renewed focus on operational safety, preventive maintenance, leak detection and emergency-response systems at the high-value facility, particularly as it moves towards stable operations.
