Pemex extinguishes Dos Bocas fire
Blaze contained with no injuries but safety concerns persist
Pemex said it extinguished a fire at its Dos Bocas (Olmeca) refinery in southern Mexico, with no injuries reported. The blaze broke out in a coke storage area at the complex, where about 150 emergency specialists — assisted by navy and defence ministry personnel — helped bring the flames under control. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the incident was confined to the coke storage zone and under control; Pemex said its director, Víctor Rodríguez, would visit the site to supervise recovery efforts. Images circulating on social media showed heavy black smoke and a large fireball at the Gulf port facility, though those images could not be immediately verified.
The incident is the second at the Dos Bocas refinery in less than a month. A previous fire on March 17 saw “oily waters” ignite around the perimeter and killed five people, renewing scrutiny of the refinery’s safety and readiness. Built at an estimated $21 billion — more than double initial budgets — Dos Bocas was a flagship project intended to reduce fuel imports, but it has faced operational problems since beginning operations in 2024 and has missed production targets set at its 2022 inauguration. In January the refinery produced about 205,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, 77,520 bpd of gasoline and 78,500 bpd of diesel, below its maximum processing capacity of 340,000 bpd.
Officials have not yet detailed the cause or full extent of damage from the latest fire; investigations and recovery work are ongoing. Pemex said it is reviewing internal safety protocols and will implement corrective actions as needed, while authorities continue to monitor the facility as part of broader oversight of national energy infrastructure. Local and international observers note that repeated incidents could affect output, operational stability and confidence in the project.
