Pemex is a big company in Mexico. 
Pemex is a very large company in Mexico. 

Pemex is a very large company in Mexico. 

Pemex is a very large company that belongs to the Mexican government. 

Finding and using oil involves many different steps. First, the company must explore the earth to find oil and gas. Sometimes this happens in deep water in the ocean. Once oil is found, it must be extracted from the ground. After it is out of the ground, it goes to a refinery. A refinery is a place that turns raw oil into useful things. For example, the Tula refinery helps process these materials. The company also works to distribute liquefied petroleum gas to people. This way, the energy from the oil reaches homes and cars.
History shows how Pemex became a symbol for Mexico. People in Mexico used asphalt and pitch long ago during the time of the Aztecs. In 1876, small amounts of oil were turned into kerosene near Tampico. Later, foreign companies from Britain and the United States began extracting more oil. In 1938, President Lázaro Cárdenas made a big change. He decided to nationalize the oil industry. This means the Mexican government took control of the oil resources. 
There are many important facts about the size and scale of Pemex. In December 2019, the company had total assets worth $101.8 billion. However, the company also faces a very large debt. By September 2021, its debts were over $100 billion. 
Understanding Pemex helps us see how a country manages its natural resources. The company works with other nations to learn new things. For example, it signed an agreement with a Russian company called Lukoil in 2014. They work together to learn about exploring new oil fields. 
Pemex is the state-owned petroleum corporation of Mexico. Its full name is Petróleos Mexicanos, which translates to Mexican Petroleum in English. The company is managed and operated directly by the Mexican government. Because it was formed by taking control of oil resources from foreign companies, it has become an enduring symbol of Mexican nationalism. 
The company manages a complex process of finding and processing energy resources. This begins with exploration, where workers search for oil and gas reserves deep underground or under the ocean. Once discovered, the oil must be extracted from the earth. After extraction, the raw crude oil is sent to a refinery. 
The history of oil in Mexico stretches back to the time of the Aztecs, who used asphalt and pitch. In 1876, small amounts of oil were refined into kerosene near Tampico. By the early 20th century, large quantities were being extracted by companies from Britain and the United States. This changed on March 18, 1938, when President Lázaro Cárdenas announced the expropriation of all foreign oil companies. He used Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution to claim these resources for the state. Cárdenas argued this was a necessary response to how foreign companies operated on Mexican soil. 
Pemex faces significant economic challenges regarding its production and debt. Some experts have noted that the company may be at "Hubbert's Peak." This concept suggests that once oil production reaches a certain peak, it cannot be recovered as old fields decline. Between 2004 and 2007, annual production dropped each year. In 2006, Pemex averaged 3.71 million barrels of oil per day (MMBPD), but it has never reached a yearly average of 4 MMBPD. 
Despite these debts, Pemex remains a vital source of money for the Mexican government. The taxes and royalties paid by Pemex provide about one third of all tax revenue collected by the Mexican state. The company pays out over 60% of its revenue in these taxes and royalties. Even with financial struggles, Pemex continues to make important discoveries. In December 2019, the company found a massive deposit in southeastern Mexico. This discovery could potentially produce 500 million barrels of crude oil, marking the largest find in over 30 years.
Throughout its history, Pemex has dealt with serious industrial accidents and environmental issues. In 1979, an exploratory well called Ixtoc 1 suffered a blowout in the Bay of Campeche. This resulted in one of the largest oil spills in history. In 1984, a series of explosions occurred at an LPG storage facility in San Juan Ixhuatepec. These explosions killed between 500 and 600 people and injured up to 7,000 others. Other incidents include a 2012 gas plant explosion in Reynosa and a 2013 explosion at Pemex administrative offices in Mexico City. 
To manage its future, Pemex engages in international cooperation and domestic planning. In 2014, Pemex signed an agreement with the Russian company Lukoil. They focus on oil production, field exploration, and exchanging knowledge about environmental protection. Pemex also works with other firms, such as Talos Energy, to develop offshore oil fields like the Zama field. To reduce its debt, Pemex is working on a plan to refine more oil domestically. This plan aims to reduce the amount of oil the country exports by the year 2023.
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