Mexico’s grassroots Dos Bocas refinery nears 25% completion

Update February 2021: The government of Mexico and Pemex Transformación Industrial (PTI), the processing arm of Mexico’s state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), are rapidly progressing with construction of the 340,000-b/d Dos Bocas refinery at Paraíso, in the country’s southeastern state of Tabasco (OGJ Online, Feb. 1, 2021).

The government of Mexico and Pemex Transformación Industrial, the processing arm of Mexico's state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), are progressing with development activities for the country’s previously announced 340,000-b/d refinery in the Port of Dos Bocas, Tabasco (OGJ, Dec. 2, 2019, p. 18; OGJ Online, May 10, 2019; Dec. 13, 2018).

To date, Phase 1 development of the Dos Bocas refinery is now completed, bringing overall completion progress on the general project to 24%, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Secretary of Energy Rocío Nahle García.said on Oct. 18.

With a budget of 50 billion pesos allocated for this year, Phase 2 of the project—now under way—will include the start of advanced construction works, which will begin on June 2 and be completed in May 2022 for targeted commissioning of the refinery on July 1, 2022, Obrador said.

Alongside development of the refinery, Obrador confirmed that an extensive program of improvement, expansion, and construction of housing in Tabasco also is already under way, which will include works to adjust operation of the Peñitas dam as well as strict control of the water channel in the Grijalva river and four hydroelectric plants—La Angostura, Chicoasén, Malpaso, and Peñitas—to prevent flooding in the state.

Following commissioning of the 1.65-billion pesos Dos Bocas refinery in 2022 and scheduled completion of the ongoing rehabilitation programs at Pemex’s existing six refineries by 2023, Mexico will have a combined capacity to process 1.54 million b/d of its own crude oil production to produce 1.40 million b/d of finished products to help achieve the country’s energy independence, Obrador said.