Mexico to Discuss Security With U.S. in Parallel to Nafta

/, ,

From: Bloomberg / Eric Martin / 11 de Diciembre de 2017

 

Mexico’s top diplomatic and interior officials will visit Washington this week to discuss security cooperation with their U.S. counterparts at the same time that negotiators work to overhaul Nafta, according to four people familiar with the plans.

 

The visit by Mexican Foreign Relations Minister Luis Videgaray and Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong to meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Thursday is a follow-up to meetings in May, according to the people, who asked not to be named before the agenda is made public. It’s aimed at coming up with strategies to combat transnational criminal organizations, the people said. The press office of the Mexican Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department declined to immediately comment.

 

The meetings coincide with a sitdown by negotiators from the U.S., Mexico and Canada to update the North American Free Trade Agreement at the demand of U.S. President Donald Trump, who says the deal is responsible for hundreds of thousands of lost manufacturing jobs in the U.S. In an interview last month, Videgaray said that if the Nafta renegotiation encounters trouble, it could impact other areas of cooperation with the U.S. such as security and immigration. Mexico this year has seen homicides surge to the highest levels of this century, surpassing the previous record levels of the drug war from 2010 to 2012.

“It’s good for Mexico that we cooperate with the U.S. on security and also on migration and many other issues,” Videgaray said in the interview in Vietnam on Nov. 11. “But it’s a fact of life and there is a political reality that a bad outcome on Nafta will have some impact on that,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen, and we’re working hard to get to a good outcome.”

Videgaray told reporters last month that Mexico is prepared for the end of Nafta if it can’t reach a deal with the U.S. and Canada that benefits the nation. The three countries in August began talks to rework the pact after Trump pledged during the 2016 campaign to overhaul or end it.

This Week’s Talks

The latest meetings to revamp Nafta, taking place at the Mayflower Hotel, will run through Friday, largely out of the spotlight. Cabinet-level officials aren’t scheduled to attend for the second time since negotiations began, and the Trump administration is preoccupied with efforts to push through tax cuts by year-end and avoid a government shutdown. Videgaray’s portfolio includes the broad bilateral relationship with the U.S., while a team led by Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo has been focused on the commercial details of the Nafta negotiation.

videgaray

 

From: Bloomberg / Eric Martin / 11 de Diciembre de 2017

Jefferson Energy Companies Originates the First ExxonMobil Unit Trains of Refined Products to Mexico

/

From: GlobeNewswire / 11 de Diciembre de 2017

 

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jefferson Energy Companies (“Jefferson”), a subsidiary of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC (NYSE:FTAI), is playing an important role in ExxonMobil’s recent Mexico market entry.  With logistics support from Jefferson, ExxonMobil is the first company to provide an integrated product offering along the entire fuels value chain in Mexico.  Unit trains of gasoline and diesel delivered to Central Mexican markets originated at Jefferson’s terminal in Beaumont, Texas.  The unit train loading was done under an agreement with ExxonMobil. These volumes originated at Jefferson were safely delivered through a destination terminal in San Luis Potosi to retail gasoline stations in the Bajio region. ExxonMobil previously announced its intent to spend $300 million in fuel logistics, product inventories and marketing in support of Mobil-branded stations and Synergy-branded fuels, and these unit train shipments are part of that program.

About the Jefferson Energy Terminal

Jefferson Energy CEO and President Greg Binion said, “We are excited to be an integral part of the transformation of the Mexican energy sector. Further, we are very pleased that ExxonMobil recognized the operational flexibility and advantages that our terminal provides. As this opportunity in Mexico expands, we plan to continue to enter into other contracts to provide logistics for refined products export to Mexico. We also plan to continue to invest in associated tanks as well as rail and loading infrastructure in order to meet the rapidly growing demands of this market.”

The terminal is owned and operated by Jefferson Energy Companies, a midstream oil and terminal company that serves the Gulf Coast. The terminal is located on 243 acres in Beaumont, Texas, positioned in one of the largest refinery markets in the U.S., located in the center of the 9.2 million bbdGulf Coast refining market (PAD III). The terminal is a public-private partnership between the Port of Beaumont Navigation District of Jefferson County, Texas and Jefferson Energy Companies. The Port of Beaumont is the fourth busiest port in the United States, according to the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers tonnage statistics, and the busiest military port in the U.S. The terminal is currently served by three Class I railroad carriers, allowing delivery from most origination terminals and plants in North America.  

About Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC

Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC (NYSE:FTAI) owns and acquires high quality infrastructure and equipment that is essential for the transportation of goods and people globally. FTAI targets assets that, on a combined basis, generate strong and stable cash flows with the potential for earnings growth and asset appreciation. FTAI is externally managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC, a leading, diversified global investment firm. For more information about FTAI, visit www.ftandi.com.

 

Ferrocarril

 

From: GlobeNewswire / 11 de Diciembre de 2017

 

Prestige 2002 ¿Acaso podía ser peor?

/, , ,

Después de 13 años de que ocurriera el desastre del buque petrolero Exxon Valdez, que tras una colisión derramó más 41 millones de litros de crudo al mar (40,000 toneladas), la historia se repitió aunque con consecuencias quizá aún peores, cuando el buque petrolero Prestige, con bandera de Bahamas, vertió 63,000 toneladas de fuel oil (un combustible pesado) a 250 km de la costa Da Morte.

El 13 de noviembre de 2002, el petrolero monocasco[1] Prestige lanzó una alerta debido a una ruptura en su estructura a través de la cual, se estima, salían diariamente 125 toneladas del combustible[2]; la respuesta a la emergencia no fue la adecuada y las órdenes para mantenerlo a salvo fueron contradictorias (en un inicio le dieron la orden de navegar hacia el norte -mar adentro- y posteriormente fue remolcado hacia el sur), lo que provocó que seis días después el buque se partiera a la mitad derramando su contenido sobre el mar.

Salvamento Marítimo pudo rescatar a la tripulación, sin embargo, los daños ambientales fueron muy graves, debido a la cantidad de hidrocarburo derramado, que se extendió por kilómetros y llegó a lugares donde las labores de limpieza fueron imposibles por la naturaleza del terreno (acantilados y fondo marino). Durante los primeros nueve meses posteriores al desastre, se recogieron más de 23.000 aves llenas de petróleo (17.000 de ellas muertas)[3].

En el ámbito económico, la mayor afectación fue en el sector pesquero que se vio obligado a paralizar sus actividades; las Cámaras de Comercio en España cifraron las pérdidas en 1.400 millones de euros, mientras que un informe pericial de la Fiscalía cuantificó en 3,862.42 millones de euros el impacto ambiental y económico en el Estado español[4].

A través de los lamentables casos de los siniestros de Exxon Valdez, 1989 y Prestige, 2002, podemos estar seguros de dos factores fundamentales: 1) La contaminación con hidrocarburos y/o petrolíferos tiene efectos muy graves en el medio ambiente y sus daños llegan a ser irreparables; 2) No contar con un adecuado programa de administración de riesgos que permita saber a todos los involucrados qué hacer en caso de que se materialice un riesgo puede ser la diferencia respecto al saldo final de daños y, por supuesto, en el desembolso económico.

En NRGI Broker, somos expertos en seguros de responsabilidad ambiental y además contamos con un equipo de expertos en administración de riesgos. Acércate a nosotros, con gusto te atenderemos.

[1] Si bien la obligación de que los buque -tanques deben ser construidos con doble casco fue establecida en 1990 en el Convenio Internacional para prevenir la Contaminación por los Buques, aquellos construidos con anterioridad todavía pudieron navegar con un solo casco hasta el término de su vida útil, como fue el caso del Prestige, construido en 1976.

[2] http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/20131113/abci-mayor-catastrofe-ecologica-prestige-201311131211.html

[3] http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1617114/0/claves/desastre/prestige/

[4] Ibídem.

German firms more upbeat on Mexico, wary on NAFTA collapse – survey

/, ,

From Euronews / Dave Graham, Andrew Hay / 5 de Diciembre de 2017

German companies are more upbeat about the business outlook in Mexico than they were a year ago, but more than two-thirds believe that an end to the NAFTA trade deal would hurt their business there, a survey showed on Tuesday. The poll by the German-Mexican chamber of industry and commerce (CAMEXA) showed that more companies planned to invest and increase staffing than they did when surveyed a year ago, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory.

Some 54.6 percent of firms said they would boost staffing levels in 2018, a rise of nearly 10 percentage points from a year earlier. Almost 68 percent said they planned investment in the coming year, an increase of some 6 percentage points. The survey, which was carried out at the end of November, showed that 69 percent of firms believed that a collapse in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would have a negative impact on their business in Mexico. A total of 130 companies took part, CAMEXA said. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NAFTA if he cannot rework it to the advantage of the United States. Negotiations between the United States, Mexico and Canada to rework NAFTA have made only halting progress so far, and many major points of disagreement remain with the Trump administration seeking to promote his America First agenda. The three nations have vowed to continue talks to overhaul the almost 24-year-old trade deal through March, when the Mexican 2018 presidential campaign begins in earnest.

german

From Euronews / Dave Graham, Andrew Hay / 5 de Diciembre de 2017

Mexico Spent About $1.26 billion on 2018 Oil Hedges

/, , , ,

From Oil&Gas People / 1 de Diciembre de 2017

 

Mexico spent some 24.1 billion pesos ($1.26 billion) on contracts to hedge its 2018 oil exports, Finance Ministry Chief Economist Luis Madrazo said on Tuesday, part of government’s efforts to stabilize its budget.

Madrazo did not specify the number of barrels of export production that Mexico had hedged with derivatives contracts nor did he detail the average price per barrel of put options that the government has purchased.

In September, the Finance Ministry proposed a 2018 budget that based expected oil export revenue on an estimate of $46 per barrel. Members of Congress increased that estimate to $48.5 per barrel earlier this month as global oil prices rose.

For more than a decade, Mexico’s government has paid for a hedge every year in a bid to guarantee its revenues from oil exports by state company Pemex. The program is seen as the world’s top sovereign derivatives trade.

Last year, the government bought put options at an average price of $38 per barrel to cover 250 million barrels of crude at a cost of $1.03 billion and underpin the 2017 budget, which was based on an average price of $42 per barrel.

The government set aside $4 a barrel from a special fund to make up the difference between its put options and the budgeted price.

This year, Mexico is on track to not see any income from its oil hedge as prices for Mexican crude are currently near $54 per barrel, well above the put options. In 2016, Mexico saw a $2.65 billion payout from its oil hedge.

Mexico hedges its crude every year and deals are closely watched by the market since the trades are big enough to affect prices. The program is a longstanding part of the country’s strategy for safeguarding oil revenues from market volatility.

Mexico used to receive about one-third of federal revenues from oil sales, but it now funds less than one-fifth of the budget with oil sales after the collapse crude prices in late 2014 and a decline in production.

 

oilhedge

 

From Oil&Gas People / 1 de Diciembre de 2017

 

Exxon Valdez: impacto en el medio ambiente

/, , ,

El 24 de marzo de 1989, el buque petrolero Exxon Valdez, con 301 metros de eslora y 51 m de manga, zarpó con más 41 millones de litros de crudo a bordo, los cuales derramó prácticamente en su totalidad en el golfo de la Sonda Príncipe Guillermo en Alaska, después de impactarse con una roca.

Los factores que contribuyeron a que se produjera el desastre se resumen en: a) obstáculos de hielo y una tormenta; b) malas decisiones del capitán y c) deficientes protocolos de seguridad.

Horas después de zarpar, en medio de una tormenta, el Exxon Valdez se vio obligado a modificar su ruta de navegación debido a la presencia de bloques de hielo a su paso. Convencido de que el peligro había pasado, el capitán[1] ordenó al encargado del timonel, pasar a piloto automático. Sin embargo, unos minutos después el buque encalló y se produjo el vertido, que vendría a convertirse en uno de los peores siniestros en materia de hidrocarburos con graves consecuencias ambientales.

El derrame provocó la contaminación de aproximadamente 2000 km de costas y miles de especies afectadas. Fueron necesarios más de cuatro años de trabajos para dar por concluidas las labores de limpieza, sin embargo no fue posible regresar el ambiente a su estado base[2], ya que años después aún quedan restos de los hidrocarburos en las playas.

La cifra final de especies muertas es incierta, pero se estima que en los meses posteriores al accidente murieron alrededor de 250 mil aves marinas, 2800 nutrias, 300 focas, 250 águilas calvas, unas 22 orcas y miles de millones de ejemplares y huevos de salmón y arenque[3].

Por otro lado, fue tal el impacto que ocasionó el accidente que significó el precedente para la emisión de la Ley sobre contaminación con hidrocarburos en los Estados Unidos de América (Oil Pollution Act –OPA 90), así como la reforma del Convenio Internacional para prevenir la Contaminación por los Buques (MARPOL), que a partir de 1990 estableció la obligación de construir los buque-tanques con doble casco.

En resumen, los daños que se pueden causar al medio ambiente por accidentes con hidrocarburos pueden alcanzar grandes magnitudes, por lo que es importante que las empresas cuenten con un seguro de responsabilidad ambiental, para contar con recursos económicos suficientes para la reparación de los daños.

En NRGI Broker, somos expertos en seguros de responsabilidad ambiental. Acércate a nosotros, con gusto te atenderemos.

 

 

[1] Hay versiones que indican que el capitán se encontraba borracho. Ver: http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-7515.

[2] Al estado en el que se encontraba antes de que sucediera la tragedia.

[3] https://www.vix.com/es/btg/curiosidades/5727/grandes-desastres-ecologicos-el-exxon-valdez