Tula Leads Pemex Refining; Dos Bocas Operates at 42% Capacity

The Miguel Hidalgo refinery in Tula, Hidalgo, processed 228,500 barrels per day of crude oil between January and May 2026, 8.5% more than in the same period of 2025, according to Bloomberg Línea. The volume equals one-fifth of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) total fuel output and positions the refinery as the most productive in the National Refining System (SNR).

The SNR comprises Pemex's six legacy refineries plus the Olmeca refinery at Dos Bocas, Tabasco. The company's total fuel output reached 1.06 million barrels per day over the same period. Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel account for 75% of the fuels produced at Tula. The refinery's performance is tied to the commissioning of its coking unit, a project launched in 2014, suspended in 2018, and restarted with an investment of 3,000 million dollars. Since 2026 it has operated partially but steadily and, according to analyst Ramsés Pech, cited by Bloomberg Línea, adds between 80,000 and 90,000 barrels per day of conversion capacity. President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has set self-sufficiency in gasoline and diesel as a key policy target.

By contrast, the Olmeca refinery at Dos Bocas, inaugurated in July 2022 with a design capacity of 340,000 barrels per day, processed 144,400 barrels per day in May 2026, equivalent to 42.5% of its capacity, according to Reforma. That marks the lowest level since August 2025. The refinery has faced electrical failures and fires in storage areas and coke yards during the first half of the year. In the SNR ranking, Dos Bocas holds third place in output, behind Tula and the Salina Cruz refinery.

The performance of SNR refineries will be decisive for Pemex's ability to meet its target of covering 80% of domestic fuel demand with national production. The progress of the coking units at Tula and Salina Cruz, and the operational stabilization of Dos Bocas, will define the trajectory of energy self-sufficiency in the coming quarters.

This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.