MEXICO CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexican state energy

company Pemex will process 1.452 million barrels per day (bpd)

of crude oil this year, CEO Octavio Romero said on Friday, in

updated estimates that include the new Olmeca refinery in Dos

Bocas.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sought to achieve

"energy self-sufficiency" by ending fuel imports and producing

all the gasoline Mexico needs during his term of almost six

years at the end of September.

Romero said the refinery in the southeastern state of

Tabasco would add 177,000 bpd to Pemex's total processing while

the Deer Park refinery in Texas adds about 271,000 bpd to the 1

million bpd of the six other refineries.

Last week, Pemex officials said the Olmeca refinery, which

is running behind schedule and over budget, would start

producing diesel this month.

Romero said on Friday that Pemex will carry out tests in the

Olmeca refinery using a distillate with a high sulfur content

from the Madero refinery in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas

in an attempt to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel, or ULSD.

"Today we should start producing the first barrels (of

diesel)," Romero said, speaking alongside Lopez Obrador at a

press conference. Romero added that regular gasoline would

follow in the coming weeks.

Romero said that at the end of September, the state company

would be importing only 85,000 bpd of refined products - down

from 927,000 bpd at the end of 2018.

Romero also said Pemex, the world's most financially

burdened energy company, would keep paying down debt. This

month, will make payments to suppliers for 70,000 million pesos

($4.13 billion).

"We are looking to make important payments to suppliers so

that in the month of August... we have regularized all that is

due with our suppliers," he added.

($1 = 16.9535 Mexican pesos)