MMEX gets TCEQ air authorization for North refinery

MMEX Resources won Texas air permitting approval for Pecos UltraClean Refinery North, a planned 30,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery near Fort Stockton. The approval marks a second milestone for the company’s West Texas refining buildout and brings the combined planned capacity of the North and South sites to 60,000 barrels per day.

Why it matters: - The TCEQ approval moves MMEX Resources one step closer to building a new refining hub in Pecos County. - The two planned refineries together would add 60,000 barrels per day of nominal crude processing capacity in West Texas. - MMEX says the project is meant to supply products closer to Permian Basin production and regional fuel markets.

What happened: - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a Permit by Rule registration for Pecos UltraClean Refinery North. - The North site is a planned 30,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery in Pecos County, Texas. - MMEX announced the approval on November 5, 2026. - The North permit follows TCEQ’s July 24, 2026 approval for Pecos UltraClean Refinery South.

The details: - Pecos UltraClean Refinery North is being developed by Pecos UltraClean Refining, LLC, an MMEX subsidiary. - The project site is about 14 miles northeast of Fort Stockton, Texas. - The permit application describes a modular facility designed to process crude oil into ultra-low sulfur diesel, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas and marine fuel oil. - The project design includes planned provisions for carbon capture from process heater and boiler exhaust. - Construction authorization for the associated carbon capture facility will go through a separate permitting process. - MMEX said the North air authorization is a step in project development. - Construction and commercial operation still depend on financing, remaining authorizations and other development requirements.

Between the lines: - The permit win does not guarantee the refinery will be built, but it reduces one regulatory hurdle. - The paired North and South permits suggest MMEX is pursuing a phased development strategy rather than a single large refinery. - The carbon capture provision signals the company is positioning the project around lower-emissions refining, though that piece still needs its own approval. - CEO Jack W. Hanks called the approval an important milestone and said the company is advancing plans to build modern refining capacity near crude supply and fuel demand.

What's next: - MMEX still needs financing and additional approvals before construction can begin. - The company will have to complete the separate permitting path for the carbon capture facility if it moves ahead. - Future updates will likely focus on remaining regulatory steps, project funding and any construction timeline.

The bottom line: - MMEX has cleared another permitting hurdle, but the West Texas refinery project remains in development rather than under construction.