Explosion at New Mexico oil refinery sends thick smoke across Artesia
Oct 31, 2025, 12:24 PM | Updated: 2:04 pm
ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — Emergency crews responded Friday to an explosion at an oil refinery in New Mexico as thick smoke emerged from the plant and drifted across parts of the city of Artesia before crews were able to extinguish the flames.
Artesia Police Commander Pete Quiñones said there were no fatalities but injuries were reported. Eddy County Emergency Manager Jennifer Armendariz said, “I do know that there were some injuries, but I can’t confirm the number.”
The Eddy County Office of Emergency Management had posted on social media earlier Friday for people to avoid the intersection near the refinery since it was being prepared for a landing zone for a medical helicopter.
Authorities said the smoke had dissipated by Friday afternoon and roads were reopened.
A person who answered the phone Friday said a manager at HF Sinclair Navajo Refinery was not immediately available for comment.
The refinery sits adjacent to Artesia’s main intersection, 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 notes that the facility has a crude oil capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, but it wasn’t immediately clear how full the plant was at the time of the incident.
The plant serves markets in the southwestern United States by processing oil acquired from the basin, which is one of the busiest in the world. It operates alongside a refining facility in Lovington, about 65 miles (105 km) away.
___ Associated Press writers Morgan Lee in Santa Fe and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque contributed to this report.
