Pemex Prepares for Accidents with Offshore Spill Simulation

Mexico's state oil company Pemex has strengthened its accident simulation program at facilities in different parts of the country to verify its accident prevention systems and ensure the safety of surrounding communities and the environment, Pemex said in a statement.

The most recent accident simulation was a 15,000-barrel fuel oil spill, seven nautical miles offshore Tuxpan, Veracruz state, in the Gulf of Mexico, where ships load and unload fuels, the statement said.

To simulate the spill Pemex used two tons of citrus fruits instead of fuel oil, the statement said.

The spill took place during the unloading of Pemex fuel tanker Quetzalcoatl.

It took Pemex employees and federal, state and municipal government teams four hours to control the simulated fuel spill.

The UN International Maritime Organization monitored the operation and verified that Pemex applied marine environmental standards during the drill, the statement said.

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