Mexican Diesel Fuel - Sulfur Levels Update
Update Regarding Diesel Fuel in Mexico - September 27, 2017 The Mexico Snowbird Season for 2017/18 is fast approaching, so here is an update regarding sulfur levels in Mexican diesel fuel and the p...
Forum Discussion
CHECK YOUR MAP ED. I agree with you, however MANZANILLO is a full day's SOUTH of Puerto Vallarta . SOUTH. Not North, east or straight up.
The object of a study is to offer CORRECT INFORMATION to a reader. When the director of Pemex makes a public statement, I tend to take it as being accurate. When Pemex's USA financial advisor MOODYs makes not only a statement but a finding of facts public it over rides "Foster Wheeler".
When I read in La Voz de Michoacan that SEMPRA ENERGY was denied a permit to build at the port, and my son-in-law tells me that caused a loss of jobs and therefore a local scandal, what am I to believe?
I believe Xavier and I believe Ernesto. And the director of Pemex and Moody. Read the information for yourself, I could care less about some kind of personality contest. I am an engineer. And trust me, de-bunking myths (battery manufacturers) for thirty years I know what politics are involved. I fight bunk with facts. Documentation. And similar to my testing of over 100 dispensers of gasolineras in over 100 franquicias in 1994 the meeting with Paul Carroll of The Wall Street Journal in Mexico and the publishing of those results in that Newspaper in October of that year, the UBA issue is easy to figure out.
ACCURACY.
Not one heater not one catalyst reformer, not one H2S extraction tower has EVER been delivered to Mexico. And Mexico according to the director of MITTAL the national steel company has any plans to erect an electric furnace which is key to manufacture these refinery components. That too is public knowledge. Refinery vessels that deal with elevated pressures and temperatures needs, nay DEMANDS special steel which Mexican steel mills at MONTCLOVA and LAZARO CARDENAS are incapable of manufacturing. The vessels would have to be imported. And key to that is money. Pemex does not have the budget allotted for it.
So what? The fact is and this means the bottom line for travelers and RV'ers that the coastal strip south of MANZANILLO to GUATEMALA provides standard made in Mexico diesel. Big freakin' deal for 99% of visitors.
This SHOULD BE a mere advisory for the very few folks who travel that area in brand new diesels. And not some kind of warped personality oriented yes/no "contest" that yields results of no benefit to anyone.
Therefore challenge the accuracy of THE DIRECTOR OF PEMEX's public statement and then turn around and CHALLENGE the accuracy of MOODY's One of the most respected financial analysts in the world. Do not challenge me. My interests lie solely in the world of two senior PEMEX engineers who are excited that the refinacion at TULA may be getting an ALKYLATION plant. Both of these guys are specialists in the handling of iso-butane and a domestic alkylation plant means the possibility of Pemex manufacturing world class piston engine 80 Low Lead and possibly 100 Low lead fuel. In all the various fractionation and hydrotreating processes, including catalyst reforming and "cracking" the process of alkylation remains one of my pet hobbies. It DEMANDS copious amounts of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid and that means utilization of extracted sulfur for conversion. Get the tie-in here?
Sadly ZERO EFFORT has been made in Mexico to construct a sulfur conversion plant of the type and size needed to process MOLTEN SULFUR into H2SO4 then trucked back to a refinery as processed concentrated sulfuric acid. Due to distances, Mexico would need three such plants perhaps in the bajio to manufacture alkylate for piston powered aircraft 95% of which are commercial rather than for privately owned aircraft.
Ernesto was disappointed when his planned tour and meeting of the Shell Oil / Pemex Deer Park joint venture refinery was cancelled due to the hurricane disaster in Texas. But he said it looks like spring of 2019 the meeting is on again. This refinery is one of the largest in the world, and over fifty senior engineers are going to attend. My old friend at Fluor Corporation, Don Joost passed away in the 1980's and I used to immensely enjoy talking refinery process control with him. FLUOR CORP to me is one of the principal refinery design and construction coordinators in the world.
To assuage any doubts a reader may have at this point, please refer to the links in this thread. I cannot and will not reveal the true names of my engineer friends because the penalty for revealing proprietary facts about Pemex without permission would result in termination and prison. PEMEX is incredibly sensitive about information. I was interrogated by security at the Salamanca refinacion about not possessing a tape recorder or camera before being issued a clip on visitor's ID and green visitors hard hat.
Cheers
The object of a study is to offer CORRECT INFORMATION to a reader. When the director of Pemex makes a public statement, I tend to take it as being accurate. When Pemex's USA financial advisor MOODYs makes not only a statement but a finding of facts public it over rides "Foster Wheeler".
When I read in La Voz de Michoacan that SEMPRA ENERGY was denied a permit to build at the port, and my son-in-law tells me that caused a loss of jobs and therefore a local scandal, what am I to believe?
I believe Xavier and I believe Ernesto. And the director of Pemex and Moody. Read the information for yourself, I could care less about some kind of personality contest. I am an engineer. And trust me, de-bunking myths (battery manufacturers) for thirty years I know what politics are involved. I fight bunk with facts. Documentation. And similar to my testing of over 100 dispensers of gasolineras in over 100 franquicias in 1994 the meeting with Paul Carroll of The Wall Street Journal in Mexico and the publishing of those results in that Newspaper in October of that year, the UBA issue is easy to figure out.
ACCURACY.
Not one heater not one catalyst reformer, not one H2S extraction tower has EVER been delivered to Mexico. And Mexico according to the director of MITTAL the national steel company has any plans to erect an electric furnace which is key to manufacture these refinery components. That too is public knowledge. Refinery vessels that deal with elevated pressures and temperatures needs, nay DEMANDS special steel which Mexican steel mills at MONTCLOVA and LAZARO CARDENAS are incapable of manufacturing. The vessels would have to be imported. And key to that is money. Pemex does not have the budget allotted for it.
So what? The fact is and this means the bottom line for travelers and RV'ers that the coastal strip south of MANZANILLO to GUATEMALA provides standard made in Mexico diesel. Big freakin' deal for 99% of visitors.
This SHOULD BE a mere advisory for the very few folks who travel that area in brand new diesels. And not some kind of warped personality oriented yes/no "contest" that yields results of no benefit to anyone.
Therefore challenge the accuracy of THE DIRECTOR OF PEMEX's public statement and then turn around and CHALLENGE the accuracy of MOODY's One of the most respected financial analysts in the world. Do not challenge me. My interests lie solely in the world of two senior PEMEX engineers who are excited that the refinacion at TULA may be getting an ALKYLATION plant. Both of these guys are specialists in the handling of iso-butane and a domestic alkylation plant means the possibility of Pemex manufacturing world class piston engine 80 Low Lead and possibly 100 Low lead fuel. In all the various fractionation and hydrotreating processes, including catalyst reforming and "cracking" the process of alkylation remains one of my pet hobbies. It DEMANDS copious amounts of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid and that means utilization of extracted sulfur for conversion. Get the tie-in here?
Sadly ZERO EFFORT has been made in Mexico to construct a sulfur conversion plant of the type and size needed to process MOLTEN SULFUR into H2SO4 then trucked back to a refinery as processed concentrated sulfuric acid. Due to distances, Mexico would need three such plants perhaps in the bajio to manufacture alkylate for piston powered aircraft 95% of which are commercial rather than for privately owned aircraft.
Ernesto was disappointed when his planned tour and meeting of the Shell Oil / Pemex Deer Park joint venture refinery was cancelled due to the hurricane disaster in Texas. But he said it looks like spring of 2019 the meeting is on again. This refinery is one of the largest in the world, and over fifty senior engineers are going to attend. My old friend at Fluor Corporation, Don Joost passed away in the 1980's and I used to immensely enjoy talking refinery process control with him. FLUOR CORP to me is one of the principal refinery design and construction coordinators in the world.
To assuage any doubts a reader may have at this point, please refer to the links in this thread. I cannot and will not reveal the true names of my engineer friends because the penalty for revealing proprietary facts about Pemex without permission would result in termination and prison. PEMEX is incredibly sensitive about information. I was interrogated by security at the Salamanca refinacion about not possessing a tape recorder or camera before being issued a clip on visitor's ID and green visitors hard hat.
Cheers
