Oil Refinery Throughput โ - Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and represents the operational output of the refining sector rather than its installed capacity. This indicator reflects the extent to which refinery infrastructure is utilized to convert crude oil into refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. Oil Refinery Throughput is widely used to assess refinery operations, downstream petroleum activity, fuel production levels, and the efficiency of refinery utilization.
It serves as an important indicator of refinery utilization, fuel production, industrial performance, energy security, and Mexico's ability to meet domestic petroleum product demand.
Mexico recorded oil refinery throughput of 1,064 thousand barrels daily in 2015, declining to 933 thousand barrels daily in 2016 and further to 767 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput continued to decrease to 612 thousand barrels daily in 2018 and 592 thousand barrels daily in 2019. In 2020, throughput remained nearly unchanged at 591 thousand barrels daily, reflecting continued operational challenges and weak refinery utilization. Processing volumes improved to 712 thousand barrels daily in 2021 and increased further to 816 thousand barrels daily in 2022 before easing slightly to 792 thousand barrels daily in 2023, reflecting gradual recovery in refinery operations and downstream activity.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates a long-term decline in refinery throughput between 2015 and 2020, followed by a moderate recovery during the subsequent years. The improvement reflects refinery modernization efforts, operational optimization, and stronger domestic refining activity, although throughput remained below the levels recorded at the beginning of the review period.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Mexico's refinery throughput trends, analyzing downstream industry performance, and assessing crude oil processing activity. It supports refinery utilization analysis, investment planning, energy security assessments, and policy evaluation while providing valuable insights for researchers, analysts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers studying refinery efficiency, infrastructure performance, and the long-term development of Mexico's petroleum refining industry.