Mexico could add refinery work to plan: Chamber

Mexico's private industries expect the government to involve outside companies in more maintenance work at four of six state-owned refineries as part of a still-undefined $100bn portfolio of energy projects, one chamber source said.

Needed investment in these four refineries — the 190,000 b/d Madero facility, 285,000 b/d Minatitlan, 275,000 b/d Cadereyta and 315,000 b/d Tula — would total $4.5bn, a source with Mexico's national business chamber (CCE) who asked not to be named told Argus.

The terms or how the contracts would be bid or structured is not yet clear, the source said.

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said he wanted to use the national oil company as much as possible for refinery maintenance work. Yet the country has cut its budget for refinery maintenance by one-third this year compared with 2019.

Pemex has said it aims to finish work on 40 refinery units this year.

Energy projects were excluded from an initial list of projects known as the national infrastructure plan. The government initially said it would outline its priority energy project in January before delaying the release date to February.

The government has said that the list would contain opportunities for private companies in the midstream, downstream and power sectors.

The total portfolio of investments will be worth up to $100bn, presidential chief of staff Alfonso Romo said on 28 January.

By Sergio Meana