What caused the brief fire at Mexico's Olmeca refinery, and when did it occur?

The brief fire occurred around midnight on Saturday during scheduled maintenance activities at the Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas, Tabasco, and was triggered by a flame appearing outside a vacuum residue storage tank while workers were conducting steam-emptying and controlled venting operations.

Did the fire pose any safety risks, and what is the current status of refinery operations?

Pemex stated the incident was immediately brought under control using established safety protocols and posed no risk to personnel, the facility, or the surrounding community; the refinery is operating normally and maintenance work is continuing as scheduled.

Mexico's Pemex says brief fire at Olmeca refinery controlled, operations normal

May 16, 2026

Mexico's state oil company Pemex confirmed that a brief fire at its Olmeca refinery during scheduled maintenance has been controlled with no operational impact or safety risks.

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