Pemex increases production by 7.2 %

Sept. 3, 1997 The production in Mexico of crude oil this year will be 3 billion 63 million barrels, a 7.2 % increase over 1996 reported Pemex. Of that amount, 43.l % is channelled into domestic consumption and the rest goes to export. The production of natural gas will also increase by 7.2 % this year but petrochemical production will shrink by 2.6 %. Insofar as gasoline production goes, unleaded gasoline will jump by 37.1 % and the production of leaded Nova will plunge 49 %. Changing consumer patterns meant that unleaded gasoline now represents 78.7 % of total consumption as opposed to 45.8 % last year.