The fire at the state’s second-largest oil refinery in El Segundo, Calif., not only produced a giant fireball, but it’s expected to boost gas prices in Southern California and Southern Nevada almost immediately — but by how much depends on how long the refinery might be out of operation.
The Thursday evening explosion at the Chevron refinery damaged a jet fuel production unit at the facility, but by sunrise Friday, there appeared to be little damage at the 1,000-acre complex, though some flames were still visible.
The historic refinery, which opened in 1911, produces approximately one-fifth of all motor vehicle fuels and 40% of the jet fuel consumed in Southern California. It also is a major source of fuel for the Las Vegas area, through the Calnev pipeline. This region already faces tig