(New throughout, adds Pemex spokesperson comment, quotes fromCFO)
MEXICO CITY, May 20 (Reuters) - Mexican state oil firm Pemex said on Wednesday it had no current plans to sell itsrefining and petrochemical businesses after a senior executivetold a newspaper it might opt to in the future.
The daily Excelsior reported in Wednesday's edition thatPemex Chief Financial Officer Mario Beauregard told it thecompany hoped to improve the two businesses, but couldultimately choose to sell.
"We will have to at some point take a decision to see if wecontinue with those activities," the paper quoted him as saying.
"One of the options we can take is sell those assets, sellPemex's stake, and with that money, invest it in areas thatgenerate more value, like exploration and production."
A Pemex spokesperson said the company has not had anydiscussions with private refiners regarding possible asset salesand has no near-term plans to do so.
Beauregard, asked later on Wednesday about the possible saleof non-profitable assets, said Pemex is open to partnershipswith companies that could improve such units.
"The first thing we're going to do is try to partner withcompanies which can give us new tools we don't have to turnaround all these activities," he said at an event in thenorthern city of Monterrey.
"We think there's a good opportunity to partner with privatesector companies that have new technology and that can provideenough capital to achieve needed modernizations, and to try andmake these businesses profitable for Pemex," he added, notingthat Pemex was already in talks with some firms.
Pemex owns and operates six domestic refineries and alsoholds a 50 percent stake in the Deep Park refinery near Houstonwhich is operated by Royal Dutch Shell.
The company's revenue has been hit by a slump in global oilprices, and exacerbated by declining output.
Pemex's oil production has fallen by nearly one-third sincehitting a peak of 3.38 million barrels per day in 2004.
The company, which funds about a third of Mexico's federalbudget, reported a 100.5 billion peso ($6.6 billion) quarterlyloss in the first quarter of 2015.
Due to the oil slump, Pemex has announced major budget cutsfor this year, as well as a delay in executing capital projectsincluding refinery reconfigurations.
Pemex's refining unit has racked up billions of dollars inlosses in recent years as the government has maintained along-standing policy of setting fuel prices. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and David Alire Garcia, andGabriela Lopez in Monterrey; editing by Marguerita Choy andDavid Gregorio)
