46% investment in refineries decreases



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Investments in the refineries of Petróleos Mexicanos contracted by 46% between 2013 and 2017 and reached the same level as the last economic crisis ten years ago.

During this same period, the total production of refineries also collapsed. In 2013, 1.2 million barrels per day of oil were produced in the refining system, but by the end of 2017, this figure dropped to 786,000 barrels per day, a 38 percent drop, according to the data. Sener.

" Declining investment has had a direct impact on the production of refined petroleum products, which makes upgrading refineries necessary to achieve greater efficiency, with refineries currently operating below capacity ] opined Miriam Grustein, independent consultant in the energy sector .

Graphic: Paul Perdomo / Heraldo de México

The refineries produce gasoline, kerosene, diesel and fuel oil among others; In the country, gasoline is the main activity of refineries in terms of production volume, and represents 28% of the total oil produced in 2017. Thus, gasoline production has increased from 437, 3,000 barrels a day in 2013 to 257,000 barrels a day in 2017, a 41 percent drop, according to Pemex's indicators.

Low gasoline production drove the country to import more than 570,000 barrels a day last year at a cost of $ 15 billion. In addition, according to official data, from 2013 to May 2018, $ 79.6 billion of gasoline was imported for the automotive sector.

" The current government stopped investing in refineries because they represented a hefty expense that was not compensated and because it was a bad administrator " said Grustein.

According to the expert, the participation of private companies in the refining segment could be an option to obtain capital and invest in refineries, " the problem is that up to # 39, at present I do not know any company is interested in investing in current refineries, which is a bad indication of the state in which they are located ".

The refineries that reduced their production the most were: Madero, which went from 140,400 barrels per day to 48,600 barrels, Minatitlan which dropped 49% and Salina Cruz, whose production was reduced by 53% . ]

" With these very low levels of investment, what we can hope for in the future, it is to continue to depend on the import of gasoline "said Arturo Carranza, energy expert at the National Institute of Gas. Public Administration (INAP).

El Heraldo de México sought a position of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), but spokesmen were not available.

By Adrian Arias

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