Latin America Advisor

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Will Mexico’s New Olmeca Refinery Achieve its Targets?

Mexico’s new Olmeca refinery, in Tabasco state, started producing fuel last September, and state oil company Pemex’s CEO, Octavio Romero, has said the refinery will be at its full production capacity by late March. // File Photo: Mexican Government.

Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex’s CEO, Octavio Romero said on Jan. 4 that the country’s new Olmeca refinery is estimated to be producing a combined 274,000 barrels per day of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel by the time President Andrés Manuel López Obrador leaves office in September. How likely is the Olmeca refinery to achieve that target, considering scheduling setbacks that it has already faced? How important is the new refinery to Mexico’s energy needs? To what extent can the refinery help strengthen the finances of Pemex, the world’s most indebted oil company?

Larry B. Pascal and Carlos Alva, partners at Haynes Boone: “Although the commencement of operations of the Olmeca refinery has been postponed on several occasions, and estimated production figures have changed, Pemex issued a statement on Jan. 8 stating that the refinery will start operations in February. Pemex has also announced that the refinery will gradually increase production, producing 65,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February; 128,000 bpd in March and 176,000 bpd in April and thereafter for the year. Due to the upcoming commencement date, one has reason to believe that these production estimates are realistic. The refinery plays an important role in Mexico’s energy security plans because a fundamental purpose is to reduce fuel imports and to strengthen Mexico’s refinery system by adding domestic production capacity. However, the start of operations does not mean that…”

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A sister publication of the Inter-American Dialogue’s daily Latin America Advisor, the weekly Energy Advisor captures fresh analysis from business leaders and government officials on the most important developments in oil and gas, biofuels, the power sector, renewables, new technologies, and the policy debates shaping the future of energy in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. To subscribe or for more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.


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Gene Kuleta

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