Pemex ended 2017 still taking care of an absence of key aromatics manufacturing-- particularly benzene, toluene as well as combined xylene (BTX)-- while facing feedstock scarcities, the firm claimed Monday.
Pemex saw its BTX manufacturing fall off greatly in the 2nd half of 2017 and also ended the year with with a combined 131,267 mt of BTX outcome, down 101,403 mt (43.6%) when compared to 2016, company information shows. Pemex has actually not signed up toluene or benzene output given that August and also has not produced MX because September, the information programs.
Pemex last month finished a prepared 40-day upkeep on the aromatics manufacturing device at its Cangrejera petrochemical complex in the southern state of Veracruz. Production of BTX at Cangrejera has yet to resume, nevertheless, as Pemex is dealing with a lack of feedstock due to a downed fluid catalytic breaking unit at the neighboring Minatitlan refinery, a business source stated recently. Feedstock supply problems at Minatitlan formerly caused a decrease in aromatics production at Cangrejera, the resource included.
Pemex is currently eyeing a February 1 restart for the impacted FCC at Minatitlan with aromatics result returning to by the center of the month, the source said.
Various other refinery issues have additionally led to less aromatics manufacturing for Pemex, the resource said. Pemex's Salina Cruz refinery-- the biggest in Mexico and a significant supplier of residual gas oil to The golden state-- was closed complying with a June 14 fire pertaining to an oil spill reaching an ignition factor in the wake of flooding from Tropical Storm Calvin. The company experienced numerous problems in its efforts to recover regular procedures, consisting of a September earthquake.
Pemex has actually not replied to a number of requests for comment on the state of Minatitlan operations or on production characteristics in the 2nd half of 2017.
For drag-reducing agents , Pemex created 59,116 mt of MX in 2017, down 39,077 mt (39.8%) year on year, while the business's toluene outcome totaled 53,040 mt in 2017, down 34,279 mt (39.3%) from 2016, the data revealed. Pemex's benzene result completed 19,111 in 2017, down 28,047 mt (59.5%) from 2016, the data showed.