Australian Refinery Fire Sparked Zinc Ore Supply Concerns, Driving Zinc Prices Higher

Published: Apr 16, 2026 11:04

Save

[Australian Refinery Fire Sparks Zinc Ore Supply Concerns] According to SMM, a fire broke out at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, at around 11 PM on April 15, causing a partial shutdown. The refinery is one of only two still operating in Australia, supplying approximately 50% of Victoria's fuel and 10% of the nation's total fuel demand. Given the uncertain production situation and Australia's long-term dependence on diesel imports, the incident sparked market concerns over Australian lead and zinc ore supply. Zinc prices briefly surged above $3,400/mt. Subsequent attention will focus on Australian zinc concentrates production and transportation conditions.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

15 mins ago

Rising Overseas Zinc Prices Narrow China's Export Window, Imports Losses Exceed 3,700 Yuan/mt

[Zinc Market Update] Recently, overseas zinc prices rose more than domestic prices, and the domestic-to-overseas price ratio continued to deteriorate, drawing increased market attention to the zinc ingot export window. According to SMM estimates, China's zinc ingot import losses exceeded 3,700 yuan/mt today. If losses continue to widen, China's zinc ingot export window may open accordingly.

15 mins ago

5 hours ago

Improved Macro Sentiment Drove LME Zinc Higher [SMM Morning Meeting Minutes]

[SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: Macro Sentiment Improved, LME Zinc Rose] Overnight, LME zinc opened at $3,340.5/mt. At the beginning of the session, LME zinc briefly dipped to a low of $3,336.5/mt. Subsequently, bulls increased their open interest, and LME zinc fluctuated upward throughout the session, reaching a high of $3,414/mt during the night session, ultimately closing up at $3,400/mt, up $60/mt, a gain of 1.8%. Trading volume increased to 12,425 lots, and open interest rose by 1,955 lots to 217,000 lots.

5 hours ago

LME Drove SHFE Higher, SHFE Zinc Center Shifted Upward [SMM Zinc Morning Comment]

[SMM Zinc Morning Comment] Overnight, the most-traded SHFE zinc 2605 contract opened at 23,850 yuan/mt, briefly dipping to a low of 23,840 yuan/mt at the start of the session. Bears then reduced their open interest, and the SHFE zinc center shifted upward to a high of 23,970 yuan/mt, ultimately closing higher at 23,900 yuan/mt, up 185 yuan/mt or 0.78%. Trading volume fell to 47,019 lots, and open interest decreased by 1,040 lots to 71,016 lots.

5 hours ago