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A fire broke out on Saturday at a unit of Iran's Abadan refinery, killing one employee, before being brought under control, the Iranian oil ministry's news agency reported.
It said operations were unaffected.
"According to initial technical probes, the cause of the fire was a leak in one of the pumps in Unit 70, and no evidence of sabotage or human intervention has been observed so far," SHANA said.
Several workers suffered burns, and as many as three were in serious condition, Abadan governor Khosrow Pirhadi told state TV, adding that worn-out parts at the refinery may have caused the incident.
Local news agencies carried videos showing large flames and plumes of dark smoke rising from part of the refinery, Iran's oldest crude processing facility.
Abadan is in the southwestern Khuzestan province, currently among the hottest places in the world with temperatures close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).
The refinery, like almost all Iranian oil and gas processing plants, needs major works and renovation after decades of international sanctions.