Delay in operations at Dos Bocas refinery in Tabasco revealed

The long-awaited Dos Bocas refinery in Tabasco, which was considered a flagship project by the outgoing Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has once again experienced a new delay in its start-up. Despite previous promises that the refinery would be operating at full capacity by the end of March, the current reality shows that the facility is operating at a minimal fraction of its total capacity. Internal data from the Mexican oil company Pemex revealed that the new Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas received just 16,300 barrels per day of crude oil this week, which is less than 5% of its expected total capacity. This represents a significant blow to the expectations surrounding this project, which was thought to be a crucial step in freeing Mexico from gasoline and diesel imports, mainly from the United States. The delay in the start-up of Dos Bocas also raises questions about the progress of the facility, which has been executed over budget and with several failed announcements regarding production dates. According to sources close to the operations, it is expected that by August, the refinery will be able to receive 170,000 barrels per day, half of its processing capacity of 340,000 bpd. Pemex's CEO, Octavio Romero, had previously projected that Dos Bocas would add 177,000 bpd to the company's total processing capacity this year. However, the slow start-up of this refinery means that Mexico will continue to depend on fuel imports and maintain its exports of heavy crude, despite initial expectations that the new facility would help reduce these dependencies. In the current political context, with just over two weeks until the presidential elections in Mexico, Pemex officials are seeking to showcase progress in the refinery as part of López Obrador and his party Morena's promises. Morena's presidential candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, maintains a strong lead in the polls, making the performance of projects like Dos Bocas even more relevant in the current political landscape. According to sources close to the operations, the amount of crude oil received by the new refinery is surprisingly low and is only being directed to one processing line, with no clarity on when the second line will start operating. Despite the delays and unmet expectations, the government has been exaggerating the progress, raising doubts about transparency in communication regarding projects of this magnitude. To date, neither Pemex nor the Mexican Ministry of Energy have provided official figures on the refining operations of the new refinery in Dos Bocas. The uncertainty surrounding the start-up of this key project for Mexico's energy self-sufficiency continues to raise concerns both nationally and internationally, especially in a context of energy dependence and changes in global oil and fuel markets.