A strong caught fire struck this Friday afternoon at the facilities of a company in Deer Parkin the state of Texas (United States), which has left at least two injured.
Although at first various local media reported that the fire came from the refinery that belongs to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the state-owned company quickly ruled it out.
Through the official Twitter account, it was assured that the explosion was in the adjacent petrochemical plant of Shell Chemicalslocated near Beltway 8 and SH 225, and which is being assisted:
“Pemex reports that there is no fire in the Deer Park refinery units. However, our emergency response teams are providing assistance to another company that is located adjacent to our facility.”
The incident caused a column of smoke dark that was visible from several kilometers around.
ed gonzalezcounty sheriff Harrispointed out that, for the moment, there is no need for local people to seek shelter.
“The City of Deer Park is aware of an industrial fire north of the 225 Freeway. The City remains in communication with Shell as they conduct air monitoring in the area,” it reported through the Office of Emergency Management.
Until 4:10 p.m. Shell Deer Park Chemicals has not issued any pronouncement about.
Operations at the neighboring Pemex refinery continued despite the fire at the chemical plant, sources familiar with refinery operations told Reuters.
This is the Third fire in the area Deer Park industrial plant in Harris County so far this year. On February 24, a similar incident was reported, but that was in the facilities operated by Pemex. Less than 20 days later, the state oil company reported a new fire in one of the units at its facilities.
It was in January 2022 when Pemex took full control of the refinery facilities in Deer Park, since 50% belonged to Shell Oil Company, until an agreement was reached with the US company for $596 million.
And it is that in December 2021, the Committee on Foreign Investment of the United States (cfiusfor its acronym in English) authorized the purchase-sale operation to the Mexican State, to the not having identified risks in terms of competition or national security for the US.
Octavio Romero Oropezadirector of Pemex, specified that the purchase of the refinery represents a strategic action by the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to “achieve Mexico’s energy sovereignty and achieve the goal of guaranteeing the internal supply of fuels.” However, he added that the rehabilitation of the six refineries that make up the National Refining System is also needed, as well as the construction of the new one in Dos Bocas, Tabasco, and the authorization of the Tula coking plant, in Hidalgo.
He reiterated that technical and administrative efficiency will be maintained so that the Deer Park refinery works properly. Likewise, he assured that the protocols for the safety of people, facilities and their environment in environmental and social matters will be complied with.
According to sources of Reutersthe company of Anglo-Dutch origin will supply crude oil to the Deer Park refinery for at least 15 years as part of the sale agreement.
In 1993in the six-year term of the PRI president Carlos Salinas de GortariPemex acquired 50% of the shares of the Deer Park refinery and began its partnership with Shell Oil Company.
In mid-2020, when the health crisis due to COVID-19 began, López Obrador announced that the purchase of the other half of the plant was already being negotiated, which sparked controversy on social media.
It was not until May 24, 2021 that the agreement to purchase the rest of Deer Park has a crude processing capacity of 340,000 barrels per day and “it can process heavy and light crude oil without generating fuel oil,” Pemex said.
