Reduction of fuel imports in Mexico: Pemex bets on energy self-sufficiency

The director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Octavio Romero Oropeza, has recently announced that fuel imports in the country will be reduced to 20,000 barrels per day by the year 2025. This statement is part of the goal to achieve self-sufficiency in the energy sector, a goal that has been central to the agenda of the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but has not yet been realized. In this sense, Romero Oropeza has emphasized that this decrease in fuel imports will take place once the next administration led by the Morena party member Claudia Sheinbaum takes office. To achieve this goal, the start-up of the Olmeca refinery in Tabasco is planned, as well as the commissioning of the coker units in Tula and Salina Cruz, infrastructures that will play a fundamental role in increasing refining capacity in the country. However, it is worth mentioning that the construction of the coker unit in Salina Cruz will not be completed during the current six-year term, as recently announced. These facilities are designed to improve the performance of processed crude oil and increase fuel production in the country, which could significantly contribute to reducing the importation of these products. Furthermore, Pemex has included in its calculations the production of the Deer Park refinery, although the majority of the refined fuel in this complex does not reach Mexico, representing around 90%. Despite this fact, it is expected that by September, at the end of López Obrador's term, fuel imports will be reduced to 52,000 barrels per day. In this regard, Romero Oropeza has pointed out that the country has already achieved self-sufficiency in jet fuel, which represents a significant advancement in the national energy agenda. It is important to highlight that self-sufficiency in fuels has been one of the main promises of López Obrador's government, however, it has not been fully achieved so far. Despite efforts to increase refining capacity in the country's refineries, losses at Pemex Transformación Industrial have continued to be a constant, posing additional challenges on the path to energy self-sufficiency. In this context, it is crucial to closely monitor the progress in the implementation of the measures announced by Pemex to reduce fuel imports and achieve self-sufficiency in this sector. The operational efficiency of refineries, as well as the completion of key projects such as the Olmeca refinery and the coker unit in Tula, will be crucial in achieving this goal within the established timeframe. In conclusion, the reduction of fuel imports to 20,000 barrels per day in 2025 represents a significant step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in Mexico. However, it is necessary to closely monitor the progress in this process and the effectiveness of the measures implemented to ensure the success of this strategy in the national energy sector.