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Emergency crews responded to an explosion at an oil refinery on Friday new mexico Before workers could extinguish the fire, thick smoke billowed from the plant and spread across parts of the city of Artesia.
Artesia Police Commander Pete Quinones said there were no deaths but injuries were reported. Eddy County emergency manager Jennifer Armendariz said, “I know there were some injuries, but I can’t confirm the number.”
The Eddy County Emergency Management Office posted on social media earlier Friday that people should avoid the intersection near the refinery because it was being prepared for a landing zone for a medical helicopter.
Officials said the smoke had cleared by Friday afternoon and roads were reopened.
A person who answered the phone Friday said a manager of the HF Sinclair Navajo refinery was not immediately available for comment.
The refinery is located near the main intersection of Artesia, which serves as an artery from the Permian Basin in the southeastern corner of the state to the rest of New Mexico. The company’s website states the facility has a crude oil capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, making it the largest in New Mexico, but it was not immediately clear how full the plant was at the time of the incident.
The plant serves southwestern markets United States of America By processing oil obtained from the basin, which is one of the busiest basins in the world. It operates with a purification facility in Lavington, approximately 65 miles (105 km) away.
HF Sinclair, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, also owns and operates refineries in Kansas. oklahola, WyomingWashington state and utah,
___ Associated Press writers Morgan Lee in Santa Fe and Christopher L. Keller contributed to this report.