Mexico proposes more-restrictive rules for fuel, gas, oil imports

The country’s ministries of economy and energy filed the proposal with government agency Conamer to change the regulation governing the import and export of hydrocarbons and nuclear materials as well as petroliferous and petrochemical products. The government wants to shorten the duration of import permits to five years from 20, a move that will stifle competition, help state-owned Pemex, and ultimately put investments in energy at risk, said two energy consultants. Apart from the shorter terms, the new rules impose stricter requirements for obtaining import permits.

An applicant will have to show authorities that it already has a contract with the supplier of the imported product, another contract with the counterparty selling the product in Mexico, and a contract to store the product. 1. Investments in LNG export and fuel-storage terminals would get hit 2. Proposal is already in public consultation 3. New rules affect permits to import ethyl alcohol as well The Mexican government has launched a proposal to cut the duration of permits to import fuel, oil, and gas, an effort to stifle competition and help state-owned Pemex that will put investments in energy at risk, according to two energy consultants.

The country’s ministries of economy and energy filed the proposal with government agency Conamer to change the regulation governing the import and export off hydrocarbons and nuclear materials as well as petroliferous and petrochemical products. By reducing the term of permits to five years from 20, the proposal will make trade in these products safer for national security, reduce tax evasion in these imports, and allow for more competition, the ministries said in their proposal. Conamer is in charge of studying the potential impact of regulatory changes.

The agency has posted the proposed changes on its website and interested players can file their opinions about the new rules before the agency grants its approval. Only after Conamer gives the OK can the Economy Ministry put the regulations into effect by publishing them. Cutting the duration of permits is the most harmful change in the ministry’s proposal since it will deter players from developing infrastructure projects that can’t operate with such short-term permits, said Susana Cazorla, founder partner at consultancy SICEnergy.

“There are energy projects like a fuel-storage terminal that need 10-to-15 years to make their investment return.” The modified rules will also undermine new LNG export projects that are less profitable with five-year permits, added the consultant. After a drawn-out negotiation with the current administration, IEnova secured a 20-year permit to use an LNG terminal in Mexico’s Northeast to export natural gas that the company will import from the US, as reported.

Apart from the shorter terms, the new rules impose stricter requirements for obtaining import permits, said Marcial Diaz, partner at consultancy Lexoil. An applicant will have to show authorities that it already has a contract with the supplier of the imported product, another contract with the counterparty selling the product in Mexico, and a contract to store the product, said Diaz. Companies usually ask for permits to import more products than the ones they already have committed to purchase so they can sell a portion into the domestic market, he added.

 

Alerta en el sector gasolinero: temen una ola de sanciones y revocaciones de permisos en 2021 – La Política Online

Permisionarios gasolineros aseguran que la política de almacenamiento mínimo de petrolífero se encuentra en la indefinición, consecuencia de una serie de incumplimientos de Pemex y de la misma CRE, lo que pone en riesgo a los jugadores privados del sector de recibir duras sanciones a inicios de 2021 y que, de ocurrir, terminaría impactando duramente en la petrolera estatal, entre otras consecuencias adversas para el mercado. De momento, distribuidores y comercializadores aseguran que se encuentran en la incapacidad de cumplir con sus obligaciones a falta de una respuesta de la petrolera mexicana y de la Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE), una problemática enmarcada en el giro de política energética y las alertas que surgen desde el mercado del control que está tomando la Sener sobre el sector gasolinero. Sucede que el pasado 1° de julio entró en vigor dicha política.

Desde entonces, Pemex garantizó que en 90 días se formalizarían los contratos de almacenamiento por cinco días -como establece la ley- conocidos como tickets. “Ese plazo se agotó el 30 de septiembre y hasta la fecha no ha habido ningún pronunciamiento de Pemex ni para firmar el contrato, ni para decirles cuál es el estatus”, explicó a LPO, Marcial Díaz, socio de Lexoil consultores.

“Entonces, los permisionarios están incumpliendo porque ellos se quedaron con una carta de intención por parte de Pemex donde les dijo que iban a formalizar, pero al día de hoy no han formalizado”, agregó Díaz, explicando que ha dejado en la incertidumbre la posibilidad cumplimiento por parte de los permisionarios, lo que traería como consecuencia que el órgano regulador (CRE) pueda emitir sanciones eventualmente. Esta política surgió en 2017 bajo la finalidad de generar una seguridad de suficiencia energética respecto de los petrolíferos, pero bajo la administración de López Obrador, el control de Nahle y los nuevos comisionados al frente de la comisión reguladora, han surgido complicaciones relacionados con falta de claridad en las reglas secundarias, explican players del sector.

El escenario se complejiza toda vez que Pemex tiene cada vez menos recursos para infraestructura de almacenamiento, en tanto que las empresas privadas con terminales son muy pocas (a penas 6).Para Díaz, en coincidencia con otros expertos, podría tratarse de una falta de conocimiento de Pemex de la capacidad y demanda que existe realmente en el país. En la misma línea, el analista independiente, Arturo Carranza señala: “Está generando un cuello de botella y eso está retrasando la posibilidad de que el mercado se desarrolle a pasos más rápidos”, Para Carranza, es crucial también entender lo que está ocurriendo en el marco de la política que está implementando la 4T para fortalecer a Pemex: “Y en ese interés sobre los combustibles, podría poner en riesgo el suministro de energéticos”, afirmó.

Es decir, la problemática va más allá de una carencia de planeación por parte de la empresa estatal: “Esta es una forma muy subliminal de cómo la Sener ha ido permeando para hacerse del control de petrolíferos”, explicó al respecto Santiago Arroyo, de Ursus Energy. Cabe recordar que son alertas que se han encendido a lo largo de esta administración. Basta recordar el último recorte de 40% personal de la CRE en junio. Más allá del discurso de austeridad, en el mercado se entendió como una reestructura que permitiría a la Sener tomar mayor control. Desde la Cofece también se acusó a Nahle de frenar permisos gasolineros, en un reporte emitido en octubre.

Las consecuencias de esta problemática son varias, en opinión de los expertos consultados. Una de ellas, serían las sanciones a los permisionarios. “Hacia enero o febrero vamos a ver un cortadero de cabezas, que implicarían revocaciones de permisos, pues son parte de las condiciones adicionales al artículo 84 de la ley de hidrocarburos”, señaló Arroyo

.En ese escenario, el golpe sería directamente para Pemex, explica el experto, recordando que ¾ partes del producto que vende a nivel nacional, lo mueve a través de permisionarios. “Implicaría una crisis de colocación de producto y no tendrías a quien acudir, y ahí, se correría el riesgo de caer en corrupción”, agregó. Además, a largo plazo, se anticipa la falta de desarrollo del mercado.

Shift in Mexico’s refined products market expected as storage regulation comes into effect – S&P Global Platts

New regulations in Mexico requiring an increase in refined products storage capacity could help to shift market share to state-owned Pemex, making it more difficult for smaller companies to compete, according to importers, lawyers and consultants interviewed by S&P Global Platts. Beginning July 1, all importers and wholesalers of gasoline, diesel are required to have the equivalent of five days of supply stored in their facilities. Companies will have to report their monthly sales and imports to determine their inventory obligations. The regulations were initially issued in December 2017, prior to the Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador administration. However, sources are concerned that Lopez Obrador could use the new regulations to curb the participation of private players in Mexico’s energy sector, strengthening Pemex, one of his stated goals.

The bulk of the existing refined products storage terminals had been designed to maximize the operations of Pemex’s six refineries, when Mexico did not depend on imports, said Rosanety Barrios, a former government official who participated in the design of the storage policy. By the time of the policy proposal, however, Mexico was already importing 40% of its refined products demand and private importers were beginning to enter the market.

“We wanted to give private players an opportunity to build their own infrastructure,” said Barrios, who is now an independent consultant. The original goal was to gradually increase storage capacity to reach 15 days of storage by 2025 to better prepare the country for emergencies and improve its logistics, Barrios said. In December 2019, however, the Lopez Obrador administration modified this policy reducing the goal to 5 days and extending the beginning of the implementation to July 1. Mexico’s total refined products demand was 1.24 million b/d in March, before demand slumped in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the energy ministry, SENER.

That would suggest roughly 6.2 million barrels of storage capacity is needed to meet the five-day requirement. According to the country’s Energy Regulatory Commission, CRE, Mexico’s total installed storage capacity is 20.8 million barrels, but the number is not broken down into product type. Mexico ended March with 8.894 million barrels of gasoline in storage, according to SENER data. According to SENER, there are currently 88 terminals in the country, out of which 78 belong to Pemex. The other 10 storage terminals have a combined capacity of 5.15 million barrels, SENER data shows. Among the ten companies that have storage facilities are ExxonMobil, Invex Infraestructura, IEnova, Repsol, and Windstar.

The concentration of storage capacity in the Gulf and Northwest areas of Mexico presents a challenge for independent distributors in other regions, according to a June report by Mexico-based cosultancy Talanza Energy. In their analysis this concentration will make it impossible for some of those players to comply with the regulations. “I fear the country will continue to have storage facilities that are located far from the centers of demand, causing saturation,” Barrios said, adding that Pemex could use its abundant storage capacity to exercise its market dominance.

CRE and SENER could not be reached for comment. STORAGE TICKET OPTION According to the new regulation, importers and wholesalers can comply with the minimum capacity by either building infrastructure or securing it through the purchase of a ticket. Failing to do so can result in their import permits being revoked by the CRE. Building storage facilities was not easy for smaller players, due to a lack of existing infrastructure and because of regulatory bureaucracy, said Marcial Diaz, a Mexico-based consultant said.

Storage permits would take very long to get and the government frequently asked companies to invest more than what was originally agreed, Diaz said. Tickets, on the other hand, can only be obtained by a company with excess storage capacity, and in most areas of Mexico the only company that has excess storage is Pemex, said Diego Campa, a partner specialized in Mexico’s energy sector at law firm Denton Lopez Velarde. Complying in these areas means accepting Pemex conditions and prices, and failing to reach an agreement with Pemex can take you out of business, Campa said. “Losing their permits is the main concern among industry members, particularly small wholesalers, but it also bothers them having to depend on Pemex,” he said, adding that there is the risk that Pemex unilaterally decides not to grant a ticket. “We are not there yet, but it’s a possible scenario,” he said. Pemex could not be reached for comment.

HARDER TO COMPETE

Even big companies which continue to sell fuels supplied by Pemex could be at risk if they have not built capacity or secured storage rights through tickets, said Santiago Arroyo, CEO at consultancy Ursus Energy. Arroyo has already approached Pemex to inquire about tickets, but said the rules under which they will operate have not been disclosed to him by Pemex. Other importers have told Platts they will also approach Pemex in order to comply. Buying tickets from Pemex is disadvantageous because the state oil company has the ability to dictate prices unilaterally, said a Mexico-based energy lawyer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There being no rules for granting tickets, Pemex can deny them to eliminate competition,” the lawyer said. “I see a big number of wholesalers losing their permits and going out of business in the next couple of months,” Arroyo said. At least one judge has ruled in favor of an independent importer who argued that the rules for complying with the minimum storage policy have not yet been published fully. The judge granted the importer a temporary waiver from the regulations pending a final court decision, according to document seen by S&P Global Platts. Two more market participants told Platts they have obtained similar waivers.

“Taking big investment decisions in 2018 was difficult in Mexico, as the political environment in the country was changing,” said a former gasoline station owner who is now in the natural gas business. Investors were beginning to rethink their plans in the sector as election polls indicated that Lopez Obrador had a serious chance of winning the election, he said. President Lopez Obrador promised during his campaign to strengthen Pemex if he came to power and undo the new energy liberalization. “It was very disturbing to hear that when you were planning your strategy,” he said.

The government is also trying to curb the participation of private importers, hardening supervision and revoking permits for minor circumstances, two Mexico-based importers said. SENER is coordinating with Mexico’s tax authority and with customs authorities at the border to cancel permits from importers who don’t use the permits, or under-utilize them, they said. “If your imports vary to what you said, for whatever reason, even a valid one, you may lose your permit,” said one importer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Even companies like Exxon have faced issues with import permits,” the Mexico-based lawyer said.

Exxon imports roughly 30% of the gasoline it sells in Mexico via rail through Kansas City Southern.An ExxonMobil spokesperson declined to comment. During March, the latest reading before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Mexico imported 1.16 million b/d of fuels, with Pemex importing 782,900 b/d of that, according to SENER. Total gasoline imports were 597,151 b/d, with Pemex responsible for 80% of the total.

Constraints Could Lead to Legal Actions Against Mexico’s Inventory Policy – OPIS

MEXICO CITY – Without enough access to fuel inventory tickets, companies might declare force majeure or seek legal injunctions against Mexico’s Public Policy on Minimum Fuel Inventories (PPMFI), market observers told OPIS. Mexico will implement its policy starting on July 1, requiring marketers and distributors to store five days of sales to end-users in strategic inventories. However, Pemex controls most of the country’s limited storage capacity. As a way to fulfill the policy, Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) will oversee a ticket market where marketers and distributors without storage capacity can acquire the financial rights over inventories from another marketer. If market participants cannot secure tickets, they could resort to declaring force majeure to CRE about their inability to fulfill the terms of the policy, said Rosanety Barrios, a Mexico City-based independent energy analyst, told OPIS.

“No one is obligated to fulfill the impossible,” said Barrios, adding that companies would need documented evidence they were unable to secure inventory tickets to make the declaration. CRE has not published the final rules for the emission of tickets nor the penalties for those unable to fulfill the inventory policy.

“The lack of guidelines is submerging the industry in uncertainty,” Barrios added. OPIS on June 4 reported on a leaked draft of CRE ticket rules that ticket costs and contracting models will be set freely by the market following free economic competition rules. Companies unable to fulfill the policy could get their marketing permits revoked as the maximum penalty after multiple warnings, according to the drafted rules.

The risk of getting permits revoked considering Pemex’s dominant market position in the storage market and concerns about open access to acquire tickets is worrying, said Marcial Diaz, director of Mexican energy legal firm Lexoil. The policy began being implemented when CRE requested companies to voluntarily report their volume of inventories during the first half of June, Diaz said. Two Mexican fuel marketers told OPIS that it is likely that many companies will introduce injunctions against the PPMFI as those companies with storage capacity are trying to sell their tickets tied to long-term supply contracts.

“Sadly, all energy issues in Mexico are being solved by lawyers in courts and not by policy and energy experts,” Diaz said. Following the law, Mexico’s National Regulatory Enhancement Commission (CONAMER) would then review the ticket emission rules considering feedback from market participants. However, Mexico has released major policy and regulation without holding public consultations at CONAMER such as the Policy on Reliability, Security, and Continuity of the Power System on May 15, curtailing the entrance in the operation of private renewable generation projects, generating opposition from industry and the European Union and Canadian government.

The reliability policy has generated dozens of legal processes by private renewable generation projects that have led to court injunctions against the policy and the government. “What is happening with renewable energy operators might end up happening with the fuel sector where judges end deciding the fate of new projects, investments, and private market participation,” Diaz added. Under economic competition rules, Pemex should not tie the sale of inventory tickets to other services such as a supply contract, but the state company has offered tickets primarily to its marketers and distributors, Diaz said.

“Pemex is telling competitors to hold on the queue as it is fulfilling the ticket requirements from its associated marketers and branded distributors first,” he added. “We will see if COFECE (Mexico’s Antitrust Agency) will take cards on the issue and investigate ticket sales.” Another major concern is if fuel import permits granted by Mexico’s Energy Secretariat (SENER) will be conditioned to fulfilling the PPMFI requirements, Diaz said.

“At the moment authorities are requiring among other things that marketers have a storage contract to grant an import permit,” he added. The industry is concerned that the PPMFI could curtail competition, pulling Mexico back five years ago to the starting line of market liberalization, Diaz said. “We will end with a market with different retail stations brands and colors but all being supplied with Pemex fuel,” he added.

Buques varados por la falta de almacenamiento de combustible – 24 HORAS

Los buques de petróleo detenidos en los puertos mexicanos es muestra de la ineficiente infraestructura de almacenamiento de combustibles con la que cuenta el país, señalaron expertos consultados por 24 HORAS.

Marcial Díaz, analista de Lexoil Consultores, explicó que debido a las medidas de prevención por la pandemia del Covid-19 se ha presentado una caída en la demanda de gasolinas en el país. De igual forma, el problema se exacerbó con el freno que sufrió la industria aeronáutica, al igual que otras ramas que dependen de actividades de logística o de energía. Hasta la tarde de ayer, según las plataformas de monitoreo VesselFinder y Marine Traffic, se tiene registro de poco más de 23 buques petroleros varados en el Golfo de México, uno de ellos desde el 23 de marzo con destino al complejo de Pajaritos, en Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

Además, existen cerca de 17 tanques por el lado de Tuxpan y cinco más en Tampico. “Los buques están detenidos porque los espacios de almacenamiento en México están saturados. Algunos puntos, como Tuxpan, están esperando a desahogar su inventario, pero es imposible debido a que la poca demanda de combustibles en el país”, dijo.

En tanto que Abril Moreno, consultora y directora de la firma Perceptia 21, añadió que el costo promedio al día por cada embarcación detenida oscila entre 25 mil y 30 mil dólares, aunque depende específicamente de los contratos que se hayan realizado previamente. No obstante, el precio de esta “detención” se suma a los costos por transportación.

“Para que los buques desembarquen todo depende de que se recupere la demanda, es decir, se levanten las restricciones de movilidad por el Covid-19. A nivel mundial el 60% del consumo del petróleo está enfocado a la transportación”, comentó.

Moreno consideró que las nuevas disposiciones del “Hoy No Circula” tendrán una repercusión significativa en la baja demanda de gasolinas en el país, puesto que disminuirá aún más el número de automóviles que circulan en la Ciudad de México y Estado de México y por ende habrá una menor compra de combustibles. Según Ramsés Pech, consultor de la firma Caraiva y Asociados, la inmovilidad de las personas ocasionará una contracción en la demanda de entre 40 y 50%, y se espera que tenga una recuperación a partir de junio.

 

 

Pemex tendrá competencia en almacenamiento – El Economista

La primera terminal privada para almacenamiento y reparto (TAR) de gasolinas y diésel en el país, denominada Terminal del Centro de México Petrolíferos y Petroquímicos (TCM-FTZ), arrancará operaciones el primer trimestre del 2017 con una capacidad de 300,000 barriles y una inversión de 60 millones de dólares.

Jorge Wade, director del proyecto TCM-FTZ, detalló a El Economista que el proyecto está en la etapa de ingenierías básicas y preparación del terreno de 50 hectáreas, ubicado al sur de la capital de San Luis Potosí, dentro del parque industrial WTC, desde donde se lleva a cabo la obtención de permisos de la Agencia de Seguridad Energética y Ambiental, la Comisión Reguladora de Energía y la Secretaría de Energía.

La terminal está proyectada para almacenar diésel y gasolinas, pero contará con la flexibilidad de operar el reparto de biocombustibles o las mezclas que determinen las normas ambientales y de seguridad en el largo plazo. Los combustibles llegarán de Texas y dada la ubicación geográfica de la terminal, esperan convertirse en un centro logístico para rutas de reparto desde Salamanca, Guanajuato, y Manzanillo, Colima, hasta la Ciudad de México y Veracruz. Grupo UNNE, con seis frentes.

Por su parte, Marcial Díaz, de Lexoil Consultores, aseguró en el mismo foro que Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) ha retrasado año y medio las definiciones que podrían acelerar la llegada de inversiones en el midstream y downstream de la cadena energética rumbo a la apertura, al no publicar el anunciado plan de alianzas con gasolineros o su capacidad remanente en la infraestructura de transporte y almacenamiento que en la nueva legislación es de acceso abierto para terceros. Esto ha provocado que crezcan las especulaciones y se paralice cualquier tipo de negociación con proveedores externos; creemos que Pemex está topado en su capacidad, que ocupa más de 95% de lo que tiene, y esto impide anclar inversiones , dijo.

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