-- Petroleos Mexicanos, the Mexican state-owned oil and gas company also known as Pemex, said Thursday a fire incident was contained at its Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas in Mexico's Tabasco state.
No injuries were reported following the fire incident which occurred in the coke warehouse of the refinery, the company said in a statement shared on social media.
"The Director of Pemex and the Manager of the Olmeca Refinery inform me that the fire is confined exclusively to a coke storage area and is under control," President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on social media platform X.
About 150 Pemex personnel were involved in the response operations, with Navy, Defense, and state government staff also providing support, Sheinbaum said.
The refinery, with a maximum processing capacity is 340,000 barrels per day, has faced repeated issues since the start of operations in 2024 and has failed to meet output targets promised at its 2022 launch, Reuters reported Thursday.
On March 17, five people were killed after after "oily waters" caught fire in the refinery's vicinity, the report said.
The refinery was built at a cost of $21 billion, more than twice its intended budget, with an aim to reduce the country's reliance on fuel imports, the report added.