Pemex Platform Catches Fire at Abkatun Field

On Monday, Mexican state oil company Pemex reported that it was fighting a fire on an unmanned satellite platform at a position about 60 nautical miles off the coast of Ciudad del Carmen in the Bay of Campeche. It is the latest in a long string of mishaps at the offshore-focused oil company's platforms.

At about 1115 hours on Monday morning, Pemex announced an emergency at the Abkatun-H platform, an unmanned installation that is part of the larger Abkatun oilfield complex. Safety protocols were activated and vessels dispatched to fight the fire.

As of Tuesday, Pemex has not released further details on the cause or status of the incident.

The Abkatun field was one of six giant finds discovered in the late 1970s to early 1980s in Campeche Sound, the core of Mexico's offshore oil wealth. These maturing fields continue to deliver returns for Pemex today - Abkatun alone puts out 3.3 million barrels per year in 2024 - but the infrastructure is aging.

Pemex has had a long string of fires and accidents this year, primarily in its onshore operations. The list includes a fire at the Olmeca refinery complex that killed five workers in March; another refinery accident that injured six in Salina Cruz in May; and a runaway well fire that burned for four months and polluted dozens of towns in Veracruz.

In April, Pemex also acknowledged a significant oil spill from a pipeline at the Abkatun field that began in February. The crude fouled beaches around Campeche and threatened the earnings of local fisherman. Several company officials were dismissed for failing to disclose the leak sooner.