wilderone - 1-31-2012 at 08:29 AM
in San Diego Union Tribune 1-31-12
ROSARITO BEACH – Operations ran smoothly Monday at gasoline and diesel stations in the Tijuana region but that could change dramatically on Wednesday.
On Feb. 1, all gas stations in 20 states, including Baja California, have said they will stop pumping if Pemex suspends delivery to 100 or 200
stations nationwide in a contract dispute.
Pemex, Mexico’s state-owner petroleum company, has organized these stations into a new “primary” group to sell gasoline. The franchise owners of those
stations, however, have refused to sign a new contract with Pemex, which in turn has threatened to suspend deliveries to them starting Tuesday.
The Mexican Association of Gas Station Owners said that if Pemex suspends delivery to these primary stations, there’s an agreement that all stations
in at least 20 states will stop pumping gasoline altogether as a protest the following day.
The lower chamber of Mexico’s Congress warned that a severe shortage of gasoline and diesel would result in those states if Pemex goes ahead with its
suspension plan.
The chamber’s deputies said that Mexico’s Supreme Court is to rule on the constitutionality of the new contract, which seeks to fundamentally change
the relationship between Pemex and the owners of the primary stations.
In Tijuana, the association of owners, which together have 90 stations, said that they had enough fuel on hand to last through the week.
Sources within the Pemex distribution plant in Rosarito Beach, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said employees there had not been told of a
possible suspension of service.
They said the plant had enough fuel to supply stations in Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito Beach for the rest of the week.
In the summer of 2008, operational problems at Pemex led to a severe diesel shortage in Baja California, which stranded cargo trucks and public
transportation for a time, causing significant economic losses.
A leading economist, Alejandro Díaz Bautista, said an energy shortage is possible in Baja California and the other states if Pemex makes good on its
threat to stop supplying the primary stations.
“The warning signs are flashing red for such a crisis,” said Bautista, a professor at the College of the Northern Border and a researcher for the
National Council of Science and Technology.
The economist said more than 2,500 stations would be affected in Baja California that provide fuel to hundreds of thousands of consumers.
He noted that the validity of the new contracts is going to be reviewed by Mexico’s Supreme Court, however Pemex, backed by the Energy Department,
insists on carrying them out.
A congressional commission urged the department and Pemex to not suspend deliveries of gasoline and diesel to any stations starting Tuesday.
The commission urged both entities to give the Supreme Court time to rule on the constitutionality of the new contract.
Ateo - 1-31-2012 at 08:36 AM
Wilderone, thanks for posting. People are probably topping off their tanks right now.
2500 stations in Baja? That sounds a little high for a population of 3.5 million. Unless I'm reading something wrong.
sanquintinsince73 - 1-31-2012 at 09:38 AM
In Tj use to be a dentist on every corner now there seems to be a Pemex on every corner.
Pemex
captkw - 1-31-2012 at 10:47 AM
Hola,hell ya ,,Im a going to fill the volvo up and wait and see,,its a gas,oil,,,planet...for at least a little more time !!!
K&T
sanquintinsince73 - 2-1-2012 at 09:38 AM
Are Pemex stations pumping today??
pemex
captkw - 2-1-2012 at 09:40 AM
down here,, around los barriles,,YES
bigmike58 - 2-2-2012 at 07:09 AM
I just drove from Mulege 5am 2-1-12 arriving in San Diego 4:30pm 2-1-12, Needed to fill up at 3 pemex stations, we were driving a gas hog hummer h2...
no issues at all.
[Edited on 2-2-2012 by bigmike58]
Ateo - 2-2-2012 at 07:16 AM
From sd paper:
TIJUANA – Gasoline kept flowing in the region despite a threatened shutdown by stations owners nationwide to protest a new contract imposed by
Mexico’s state-owned oil company.
The Mexican Association of Station Owners had said that it would stop pumping gasoline at 200 stations on Wednesday in Baja California and 19 other
states to protest the contract.
For the first time, the contract allows Pemex to sell its products to parties other than the franchise owners, including to foreign companies, an
arrangement the association says is against Mexico’s Constitution.
Joaquín Aviña, the president of the Tijuana chapter of the association, said on Wednesday that 98 percent of the 215 stations in Tijuana, Tecate and
Rosarito Beach had signed the new contract despite opposing its terms. He said they did this so there would be no disruption in service to consumers
in the region.
However, the local owners have joined the lawsuit the national association is pursuing in Mexico’s Supreme Court challenging the legality of new
arrangement.
In May, representatives in the lower chamber of Mexico’s Congress introduced a bill that said that only Congress has the power to change the way Pemex
operates fundamentally.
The threatened shutdown is part of a national debate about the role of the powerful oil monopoly, which cannot keep up with Mexico’s oil needs but
lacks the revenue to increase capacity.
omar.millan@sandiegored.com