A solvent leak from a seal in a dewaxing units pump led to a fire Sunday morning at Pemexs Salamanca, Mexico, refinery, whose base oil plant has 6,000 barrels per day API Group I capacity.
According to government-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, its own fire personnel, with the support of three local fire units, implemented an emergency response plan and put out the fire, which was initially reported at 8:20 a.m.
There were no injuries, Pemex said in a statement provided to Lube Report. The incident did not affect the operation of other processing plants in the workplace, while the dewaxing plant will be out of operation while repairs are made.
By press time, Pemex did not reply to Lube Reports inquiries about the status of the base oil plant in Salamanca.
Mexicos base oil demand was estimated to reach more than 648,000 metric tons in 2010, Victor Franco Paredes, operations director for Comercial Roshfrans, said during an ICIS conference last December. Sixty eight percent of Mexicos base oil is imported, and the Pemex Group I refinery in Salamanca provides the remainder, according to Paredes.