Oil refinery in West Virginia says there were no injuries after an equipment malfunction; Says social media posts from media posts from unofficial sources may be inaccurate

A West Virginia oil refinery said there was no injuries after an equipment malfunction on Sunday August 11.

Officials at Ergon-West Virginia Inc said that there was an equipment malfunction at the refinery in Newell, WV.

The event happened late Sunday afternoon and officials say it lasted no more than 90 minutes.

Officials say the equipment malfunction triggered the safety system that immediately went into effect, shutting down the refinery’s steam system. The loss of steam caused a change in the opacity of the smoke emitted from the flare, resulting in black smoke.

The malfunction has been addressed and refinery processes are back online, including the steam system, according to officials.

No injuries were reported during this issue.

“We advise the public that official information will come from our organization. Various social media posts from unofficial sources may be inaccurate,” Ergon- West Virginia Inc said to 7News.

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