finance
No Injuries Reported After Explosion and Fire at PBF Energy Refinery in Chalmette
An explosion originated from a reformer heater at the 190,000-barrel-per-day facility on May 8, 2026, hours after it completed scheduled maintenance. No injuries were reported and fence-line monitoring showed no off-site impacts. Governor Jeff Landry said he was monitoring the situation with local officials.
May 9, 8:45 AM·1m read1 source
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An explosion and fire broke out Friday afternoon at PBF Energy's Chalmette refinery outside New Orleans. The blast occurred on May 8, 2026, at the 190,000-barrel-per-day facility, one of the major Gulf Coast refineries. It originated from a reformer heater used to convert refining byproducts into octane-boosting components for premium and mid-grade fuel blends.
The Chalmette refinery produces gasoline, distillates and specialty chemicals. Crews responded to the explosion and fire at the Chalmette PBF refinery on May 8, 2026. Videos of the explosion and fire at the Chalmette refinery were recorded from two different angles the same day.
PBF Energy said fence-line monitoring confirms no off-site impacts from the incident. Everyone working in the area is safe and accounted for. All employees of the refinery are safe and no injuries have been reported, authorities stated.
Governor Jeff Landry stated on May 8, 2026: "I have been in direct contact with local officials and law enforcement on the ground regarding the situation at the Chalmette Refinery. " The refinery completed a month-long maintenance program on several units at the end of April 2026. The incident took place less than two weeks after that program ended.
Com reported that Bloomberg noted the timing of the maintenance. GasBuddy head analyst Patrick De Haan stated: "Not only are the molecules in the refinery itself under tremendous pressure, but refineries themselves are under tremendous pressure with huge implications as crack spreads soar. " There has been a notable uptick in the number of refinery fire news stories according to Bloomberg data.
