Page 7 - LatAmOil Week 18 2022

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It will also include will include 63.6bn litres of
regular gasoline and 63.6bn litres of premium
gasoline.
The new permits, which were handed out in
April, have all been designated as temporary.
However, they have no fixed expiration dates,
in contrast to the other 94 hydrocarbon import
and export permits that SENER has issued.
By contrast, the cancelled contracts gave Tra- “Trafigura complies with applicable laws and
figura the right to import up to 381.5bn litres of regulations in the jurisdictions in which it oper-
petroleum products between 2018 and 2038. ates, including Mexico.”
SENER never has said exactly why it opted to The cancellation occurred after Pemex’s trad-
cancel Trafigura’s import permits last Septem- ing arm PMI announced that it did not intend
ber. The secretariat took that step after Mexico’s to sign any new contracts with either Trafigura
Energy Minister Rocio Nahle drew attention to or Vitol, another Swiss commodities trader. At
allegations of corruption against various com- the time, it indicated that this move would not
modities traders and asserted that the national affect any other subsidiaries of Pemex or its own
oil company (NOC) Pemex should not do busi- existing contracts with the two companies. Sub-
ness with companies under suspicion of fraud sequently, though, Mexico’s government began
or bribery. looking for ways to sever the NOC’s ties with the
At the time, Trafigura protested over the trading firms.
overturning of the contracts and asserted that Both Vitol and Trafigura have been accused
the Mexican government had no grounds to of bribery and corruption in multiple venues
take such action. “We see no valid basis for around the world. Last year, Vitol agreed to pay
the suspension of import permits for Trafig- $164mn to settle charges of bribery in Brazil,
ura Mexico,” it told Argus in September 2021. Mexico and the US. ™

MPL expands scope of Puerto Libertad

LNG project, targets FID in H2-2022

MEXICO Pacific Ltd (MPL), controlled by was now looking to build a facility capable of
the US investment firm AVAIO Capital, has turning out 28.2mn tonnes per year (tpy) of
expanded the scope of its plan to build a new LNG, twice as much as originally anticipated.
LNG export terminal at Puerto Libertad in Mex- “We increased the anchor phase of the pro-
ico’s Sonora State and will make a final invest- ject,” he explained. “The first three trains will
ment decision (FID) in the second half of 2022. be 14.1mn tonnes per year, and we are working
Douglas Shanda, the CEO of MPL, told towards FID on the first two trains likely in the
Argus Media earlier this week that the company third quarter [of 2022].”

Rendering of Puerto Libertad LNG plant (Image: MPL)

Week 18 05•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7