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It's still unclear what caused an explosion at an oil refinery outside Los Angeles, and Exxon Mobil has no timetable for when gas production will resume.

The refinery produces about 8 per cent of California's gas. Production was halted by Wednesday's blast.

Refinery manager Brian Ablett said Friday that officials have not fully assessed the damage to determine when operations will resume.

An electrostatic precipitator — a filtration device used to produce California-grade gas — exploded and started a blaze that was quickly extinguished. Ablett said no workers were in the structure at the time, but four contract employees suffered minor injuries as they fled.

The explosion shook the neighbourhood and rained ash on nearby lawns.

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