Page 8 - LatAmOil Week 12 2023

LatAmOil MEXICO LatAmOil

Nuevo Leon state government blasts

Pemex for incident at Cadereyta refinery

THE state government of Nuevo Leon in north-
ern Mexico has threatened to penalise the
national oil company (NOC) Pemex for a recent
incident that led to a significant increase in visi-
ble emissions from the Cadereyta refinery.
In videos posted on social media sites, the
refinery was shown to be spewing thick yellow
and black smoke from its flare stacks, which are
meant to burn off only small volumes of excess
natural gas, on March 19. Samuel Garcia, the
governor of Nuevo Leon, was among those who
posted video footage of the emissions.
Garcia, a member of the opposition Citizens’
Movement party, spoke critically about the rul-
ing National Regeneration Movement (known
in Mexico as Morena) in a video message. “We’re
going to impose harsh penalties for this inci-
dent. I’ve asked the environmental minister to
be forceful and apply the law so that, whatever
happens, I no longer see these types of events
that pollute our air. We have the right to clean
air in Nuevo Leon,” he declared.
He did not specify what types of penalties Footage shared by Nuevo Leon’s governor (Screenshot: Twitter/@samuel_garcias)
might be assessed. However, the state govern-
ment has issued a statement noting that under particularly during night hours. The refinery
the state’s environmental law, it has the right to appears to be responsible for 90% of sulphur
halt operations at the plant if necessary. dioxide emissions in the metropolitan area of
For its part, Pemex released a statement Monterrey, Nuevo Leon’s capital city, it added.
claiming that it had “safely halted” operations Nuevo Leon’s governor and state administra-
at one of the Cadereyta refinery’s units on the tion are not the only parties to criticise the NOC
afternoon of March 19. It went on to say that the for its environmental record. Pemex, which is
incident had posed no risk to the population and the most indebted oil company in the world, has
reported that the emissions were under control. come under intense international pressure from
Nuevo Leon’s state environment ministry the US and its own bondholders to clean up its
reported, though, that it had repeatedly detected operations following reports on its methane
“intensified” emissions from the refinery, leaks and excessive gas flaring. ™

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Former energy minister says lagging gas

output undermines IMF optimism about T&T

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has Minister of Energy and Energy Industries,
predicted that Trinidad and Tobago’s economy disagrees.
will grow by 3% this year, and its forecast has Ramnarine made his point of view clear in a
been hailed as a sign that the country is headed public post on LinkedIn, saying that the IMF’s
for a recovery after years of struggling. projections were not based on realistic expecta-
However, Kevin Ramnarine, the former tions of the energy sector’s performance.

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 13 29•March•2023