Background on Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex)
Petróleos Mexicanos, commonly known as Pemex, is the Mexican state-owned petroleum company. Established in 1938, Pemex has been responsible for exploring, extracting, refining, and marketing oil and natural gas in Mexico. With over 80 years of experience, Pemex plays a crucial role in Mexico’s energy sector and economy.
Pemex’s 2026 Processing Goals
According to Pemex’s Director General, Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, the company aims to process 1.3 million barrels of crude oil daily across its seven refineries by the end of 2026. This represents a 300,000 barrels per day increase compared to the average reported in 2025.
Key Contributions to the Target
- Olmeca Refinery, Paraíso, Tabasco: This refinery will contribute 320,000 barrels per day to the domestic processing volume. It will need to increase its operations by 2.3 times compared to 2025.
- Dos Bocas Refinery: The refinery has already reached a processing rate of 320,000 barrels per day in recent peaks and aims to maintain this level, utilizing 94% of its capacity since it began operations in 2024.
- New Refining Plant in Tula: The new light fuels refining plant, with a coquizadora in Tula, is set to begin operations this year. The remodeling progress stands at 70%, and it will add 30,000 barrels per day of distillates to the Salina Cruz plant’s capacity once completed in 2027.
Refinery Utilization Targets
Pemex’s refining transformation director, Carlos Lechuga Aguiñaga, outlined a target to utilize 80% of the refineries collectively by the end of the six-year term. This would result in a daily processing volume of 1.584 million barrels across the seven refineries, marking a 56% increase compared to the average crude oil processed in 2025.
Support from Mexican Government
Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico City, emphasized during Pemex’s presentation at Palacio Nacional that processing oil domestically and maintaining eight refineries strengthens Mexico’s sovereignty, reduces imports, and generates value. She acknowledged Pemex’s recovery from decades of disintegration and privatization attempts, highlighting the company’s integrated vertical structure with a single corporate body and administration council.
Alternative Energy Projects
During the presentation, Pemex showcased its plans to participate in alternative energy projects, including:
- Aprovechamiento de salmueras petroleras para litio
- Energía eólica marina en plataformas del Golfo de México
- Geotermia petrolera
- Hidrógeno verde
- Biocombustibles (etanol para mezclas)
- Secuestro de CO2 y economía circular
These projects will be carried out in collaboration with institutions such as the IMP, UNAM, INEEL, and LitioMX.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Pemex’s goal for crude oil processing by 2026? Pemex aims to process 1.3 million barrels of crude oil daily by the end of 2026.
- Which refineries will contribute significantly to this goal? The Olmeca Refinery in Paraíso, Tabasco, and the Dos Bocas Refinery will play crucial roles in reaching this target.
- What alternative energy projects is Pemex involved in? Pemex plans to participate in projects like aprovechamiento de salmueras petroleras para litio, energía eólica marina en plataformas del Golfo de México, geotermia petrolera, hidrógeno verde, biocombustibles (etanol para mezclas), and secuestro de CO2 y economía circular.
