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Mexican Pemex crude output minimized by 20,000 bpd after platform fire, source states

Mexican Pemex petroleum production is down some 20,000 barrels per day following a fire at an offshore platform on Saturday that left several hurt and at least one dead, a source at the state energy business said.

While the reduction amounts to a 1% decline, a prolonged outage would further damage already falling petroleum production that struck its lowest level in 45 years in February.

The Akal-B platform in the Gulf of Mexico was still out of service on Tuesday as employees sought to bring back operations, the source told , speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak openly.

Pemex did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has actually not supplied updates on the fire given that Sunday, when it reported that it was carrying out an assessment and evaluating the reasons for the fire to restore operations at the processing center.

Pemex puts its existing production of oil and condensate at 1.8 million bpd, of which 1.5 million is petroleum, the most affordable level in 45 years.

Regional media reported that a 2nd worker passed away as a result of the fire. was not able to verify the second death. Pemex had reported the very first death, from a contractor, COTER.

Over the last few years, the oil company has tape-recorded several fatal accidents at its offshore facilities, which some professionals credit to an absence of investment in crucial upkeep. Pemex has consistently rejected this.

(source: Reuters)