News
26/09/18
Mexico seizes 371,000 bl at private terminal: Update
Mexico seizes 371,000 bl at private terminal: Update
Updates with terminal operator statement on permits, product ownership and
documentation provided to authorities. Mexico City, 18 September (Argus) —
Mexican authorities seized around 371,000 bl of gasoline and diesel at a major
rail-linked storage terminal in Mexico's Bajio region, while its operator said
it has provided documents supporting the legality of its operations and
commercial relationships with customers. Federal prosecutor FGR secured the fuel
because it said ownership, origin and traceability have not yet been
established, and it is investigating possible tax violations. The products
comprised about 210,700 bl of regular gasoline, 45,700 bl of premium gasoline
and 114,900 bl of diesel, according to federal prosecutor FGR. Authorities also
impounded seven tank trucks and secured 10 storage tanks, accounting records and
invoices. Gas Natural del Noroeste, the Grupo Simsa affiliate that holds the
terminal's storage permit, said the facility operates with the required federal,
state and municipal authorizations, including environmental, industrial safety
and railway permits. The company said it provides third-party storage services
and that the fuels held at the terminal belong to its customers. Those companies
are responsible for demonstrating the ownership, lawful origin and quality of
their products to Mexican energy authorities, it said. Gas Natural del Noroeste
said it has provided authorities with documentation supporting its operations
and relationships with terminal users. It expects the review to confirm that
both the facility and its customers' products comply with applicable
regulations. ExxonMobil, Marathon and Shell are the users of the terminal,
according to market sources. The terminal has 1.05mn bl of nominal storage
capacity, according to the latest publicly available data from the energy
ministry Sener, meaning the seized volume was equivalent to around 35pc of its
nominal capacity. Located at San Jose Iturbide in northeastern Guanajuato, near
the border with Queretaro state, the terminal serves the Bajio and other central
Mexican markets. It receives fuel primarily by rail and dispatches products by
truck. The terminal was formally inaugurated in December 2017 as ExxonMobil
began selling imported fuel in Mexico. Products from ExxonMobil's Texas
refineries were transported through the US and Mexico by Kansas City Southern de
Mexico, whose network is now operated by CPKC de Mexico, before being
distributed to ExxonMobil retail stations in Queretaro and elsewhere in the
Bajio. In previous years, state-owned Pemex also stored fuels at the terminal,
according to market sources. The terminal also played an important supply role
during the fuel shortages of early 2019. The investigation began on 3 July after
authorities detained an individual allegedly unloading fuel from a 33,000-liter
tank truck at a retail station in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato. The individual
was unable to document the fuel's origin or traceability, prompting searches at
the station, an LPG facility in Dolores Hidalgo and finally the San Jose
Iturbide terminal. The FGR is investigating possible violations of Mexico's
hydrocarbons law and federal tax code. It said the ownership, origin and
traceability of the products remain undetermined. Energy consultant Gonzalo
Monroy questioned whether the seizure reflected illicit activity. Monroy told
Argus that FGR agents and tax authority SAT officials have conducted similar
operations at two other terminals after identifying what they described as
documentation discrepancies. Storage terminals are not necessarily the importers
of record and therefore may not hold the import permits or customs declarations
for their customers' products, which instead remain with the importers or
offtakers, Monroy said. Inspectors may consequently have demanded documents from
the terminal that should be held by its customers, according to Monroy. By Cas
Biekmann and Antonio Gozain Send comments and request more information at
feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights
reserved.
