"An Average of 1 Million Liters Disappears Daily"
In Mexico, a series of theft incidents involving drilling holes in oil pipelines to steal oil are occurring continuously. The amount stolen can reach up to 1.5 billion KRW per day, and these incidents are happening nationwide without being limited to specific regions.
According to Mexican media such as Reforma and Infobae on the 19th (local time), the state-owned oil company PEMEX officially reported that the average daily gasoline theft (fuel theft) last year was 6,100 barrels.
This figure is 1.7 times the 3,600 barrels per day average in 2021, which PEMEX stated is equivalent to losing about 1 million liters. Considering that the price of gasoline in Mexico is about 22 to 23 pesos (1,430 to 1,500 KRW) per liter, up to 1.5 billion KRW worth of oil disappears every day.
PEMEX revealed this in a recently submitted "Hydrocarbon Transition Report" to the government and added, "Even in the first half of January this year, an average of 5,500 barrels per day were stolen." PEMEX identified that oil theft mainly occurs nationwide, including in Hidalgo, Edomex, Puebla, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Baja California, Nuevo Le?n, and Michoac?n.
Mexico has long struggled with the problem of oil theft. Thieves dig tunnels or underground passages through concrete structures and drill holes in pipelines to extract oil meticulously, making it difficult to detect even with drone surveillance. Sometimes, crops are planted above the underground extraction facilities to disguise the area as farmland.
The stolen oil is called "Huachicol," a term referring to poor-quality alcoholic beverages. Locally, Huachicol is reportedly traded secretly at about 15 pesos (980 KRW) per liter. PEMEX emphasized in the report that after a declining trend in oil theft from 2019 (6,400 barrels) and 2020 (4,800 barrels) through 2021, the theft increased again last year.
There have been significant damages caused by explosions during theft attempts. In October 2021, a gas explosion in Puebla resulted in 12 casualties. In 2019, an attempted gasoline theft from a pipeline in Hidalgo led to a massive explosion disaster, killing 137 people.
The federal government has deployed about 2,900 army and National Guard personnel around PEMEX pipelines to strengthen security activities. On the 17th, illegal oil pipes and extraction points were identified in six locations nationwide, and 98,000 liters of oil were secured.
President Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador said at a regular press conference, "Gasoline theft activities are resuming in places like Hidalgo," and expressed "great concern" about signs that some local residents are protecting Huachicol operators in exchange for compensation.
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