For the second time in less than a month, a blaze was reported at Mexico’s newest oil refinery, where 150 “emergency specialists” were able to douse the flames on Thursday.
State oil company Pemex confirmed the incident at the Olmeca refinery on the Gulf Coast in the state of Tabasco, though it did not offer specifics on the damage or possible cause of the fire at the site’s coke storage warehouse.
🚨 #ÚLTIMAHORA | Reportan incendio en bodega de la refinería Dos Bocas, Tabasco
Un incendio se registró este jueves en la bodega de Coque de la refinería Olmeca de Dos Bocas, informó Petróleos Mexicanos Pemex, sin que hasta el momento se reporten personas lesionadas.
La empresa… pic.twitter.com/kX37E6QJc0
— Milenio (@Milenio) April 9, 2026
Coke is a carbon-rich fuel used industrially in steel mills and foundries, though it is difficult to sell on international markets due to its high pollutant content.
Unlike the March 17 fire that resulted in the death of five people, Pemex reported no injuries after activating internal safety protocols.
The newspaper La Jornada reported that neighbors alerted authorities to the conflagration in the early afternoon and a column of smoke could be seen as far away as the town of Paraíso, about 5 kilometers from the Olmeca refinery, also known as Dos Bocas.
President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a statement shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, saying that Pemex director Víctor Rodríguez assured her the fire was “under control.”
In a social media post, Pemex reported that Rodriguez visited the refinery on Friday and was “leading on-site coordination and personally directing the actions to normalize operations for the handling of petroleum coke.”
The refinery is said to be “operating normally” and “all risks have been eliminated.”
One of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s emblematic construction projects, Dos Bocas has been labeled by critics as a white elephant, earning that moniker even before production started in 2024.
The refinery — built to help reduce Mexico’s dependence on fuel imports — cost US $21 billion, more than double its original budget of US $8.8 billion.
According to the Reuters news agency, Dos Bocas “has experienced a series of operating problems including stoppages, and has failed to meet the production targets promised upon inauguration.”
Earlier this week, Pemex was forced to address reports of a potential gas leak at Dos Bocas the day after an emergency response drill was held at the complex. Pemex said the supposed gas observed was actually water vapor emitted as the result of maintenance work.
“It poses no risk to the community, on-site personnel, or the environment,” the company said on Tuesday.
Still, the risks are perceived as such that parents have demanded that the state relocate two schools situated near the refinery.
With reports from Reuters, La Jornada, El Financiero and N+
