Pemex

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has been hired to provide "an all-inclusive crisis communications and training plan" for Deer Park refinery that is owned by Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos.

Pemex in January took over the 340K barrel-a-day refinery that is located east of Houston from its partner Shell Oil, which had owned and operated the facility for more than 90 years, in a deal worth about $600M.

On Sept. 22, Pemex filed a report with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality saying that a compressor trip occurred at Deer Park that lasted more than two hours and sent some 4,800 pounds of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.

H+K's contract went into effect on Sept. 26.