pipelines – NRGI Broker Expertos en Seguros para el Sector Energético

Tag Archive for: pipelines

The strategic value of the pipelines

4 September, 2018/Environment, Hydrocarbons Storage, Insurance, Mexico’s Energy Reform, Oil & Gas, Oil Operators, Our Core, Pipelines

The Five-Year Expansion Plan of the National Integrated Natural Gas Transportation and Storage System 2015-2019 contemplates the construction of more than 5,000 km of natural gas pipelines, with an estimated investment of close to 10,000 million dollars. For its elaboration, the National Infrastructure Program 2014-2018 was taken as a basis, in which the gas pipeline construction projects are planned, with an approach that seeks to guide the integral functionality of the new infrastructure of the country.

On the other hand, the main objective of the Quinquennial Plan is to bring natural gas, considered the most efficient fuel and of intensive use, to different areas of the country, among which are Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz, Aguascalientes, Durango, Michoacán, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Chihuahua, Sonora, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, especially in industrial areas and those where up to now this hydrocarbon has not been accessed.

The foregoing is in line with one of the objectives of the Energy Reform, consisting of the safe, reliable and competitive supply of natural gas.

These new gas pipelines will be added to the more than 10,000 km already existing, and will increase the capacity of transportation of natural gas by 50%.

It is worth mentioning that the expansion of the gas pipeline network can bring with it a greater possibility of accidents, considering that the pipelines are one of the means of transport that present a greater frequency and severity of accidents, due to the fact that they are exposed to various hazards as: explosion, fire, natural phenomena and ill-intentioned acts.

Therefore, it is very important that during the construction and operation of the pipelines, the insurance coverage is adequate for the complexity of this means of transport, for which it must be taken into account that the damages may affect the infrastructure, people, their assets and the environment.

In NRGI Broker we are experts in designing comprehensive insurance schemes for the Hydrocarbons Sector, come to us.

Risks in the Hydrocarbons Sector

28 August, 2018/Mexico’s Energy Reform, Oil & Gas, Oil Operators, Our Core, Risk Management

A risk, according to the Law of the National Agency for Industrial Safety and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbons Sector (ASEA), is the probability that an undesired event will occur, measured in terms of its consequences to personnel, to the population, to facilities and equipment and the environment. In short, a risk is the probability of an accident occurring.

In this regard, it is important to consider that “risk” is not synonym to “danger”, since the latter refers to the intrinsic conditions or characteristics of an object capable of causing harm, while the risk is the probability of that damage occurring. From the above it follows that there are situations and objects that are dangerous themselves and therefore have the potential to cause harm, that is, they represent a risk, which however can be controlled and minimized.

In terms of hydrocarbons, oil and gas are hazardous materials, given their explosive and flammable characteristics. Therefore, the activities in which they are involved represent a risk, hence they are legally defined as highly risky activities.

In addition to the intrinsic characteristics, the operations carried out throughout the hydrocarbon value chain are highly complex, since 1) they involve large-scale infrastructure: drilling platforms, ship-tanks, pipelines, storage terminals, others; 2) are carried out in conditions that may be extreme, for example, drilling an oil well in the sea or traveling long distances through a ship or a train; 3) Advanced technology and specialized personnel are required.

Derived from the above, it is necessary to take all the measures in risk management to avoid accidents from happening. However, although a risk can be prevented and controlled, it can not be eliminated completely, so in any case, it will be necessary to transfer it, with the aim of preventing a company from absorbing the total economic losses that a loss may represent and that they can translate into a significant patrimonial detriment.

A risk can be transferred to an insurance company, through an insurance contract in which the insurer is committed to the insured, who in return for a premium, will indemnify him in case he suffers a loss that causes losses economic, as long as the event corresponds to the insured object, conforms to the terms and conditions established in the policy and is not an exclusion.

In the SectorHydrocarbons Sector, there are specific insurances to cover the risks inherent to this activity, which have also been established as mandatory by the regulatory authority (ASEA), such as: 1) Well control; 2) Civil Liability and 3) Environmental Responsibility.

At NRGI Broker, we are experts in insurance for the Hydrocarbons Sector. Come to us.

Is Mexico Set To Boost Oil Output?

21 August, 2018/Environment, Hydrocarbons Storage, Insurance, Mexico’s Energy Reform, News, Oil & Gas, Oil Operators, Our Core, Pipelines, Risk Management, Uncategorized

Oil Price / By The Dialogue / August 16

On July 27, Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador said his government will earmark more than $9 billion for state-run energy companies next year and start working on a new oil refinery in southern Mexico. The moves seek to reduce reliance on fuel imports from the United States while boosting the country’s oil production, which has significantly fallen off in recent years. López Obrador did not say how he would fund his proposals, an omission that worries analysts concerned about Pemex’s already heavy debt burden. He also announced Octavio Romero Oropeza as the incoming head of Pemex. Will the promised investment help accelerate Pemex’s oil and gas production? What else is needed to boost output? How well prepared is Romero Oropeza to lead Pemex, and what should his priorities be? Four Mexican energy experts weighed in with their opinions on these developments.

George Baker, publisher of Mexico Energy Intelligence in Houston: The 116-page energy sector document that the Morena transition team issued on July 10 sports both good and bad ideas. First, among the good ideas, is advocating independent unions in the oil sector (the first time since 1935 that a political party has done this). Second is suspending until further review the so-called farm-outs of Pemex—the idea that civil servants (Pemex employees) and market-disciplined managers of oil companies can have a joint venture based on sharing risk and reward only makes sense on paper. Third is promoting the concept of intelligent cities, including low energy consumption, renewable energy and intelligent grids. A fourth good idea is expanding the grid of natural gas pipelines and the use of renewable energy sources and cogeneration. Among the bad ideas: first is reactivating the refinery project in Tula and analyzing the construction of another refinery in the Gulf of Mexico. Pemex refinery upgrades have gone badly for the past 20 years, notably in Cadereyta, Villahermosa and Tula. A new refinery could take three years just for design and another three for contracting and financing. López Obrador would likely leave office before the first shovelful of earth was turned for the new refinery. Second is the upgrade of the role of Pemex in the energy space. The Morena team proposes to eliminate the so-called ‘asymmetrical regulations’ that restrict Pemex to compete effectively—to aspire to ‘make Pemex great again’ as a state agency is to ignore global success stories of state oil companies with mixed-equity structures, market financing and professional management. Finally, a third bad idea is to overstate (and obfuscate) the potential for change via public policy: there is nothing that is actionable in statements such as ‘the necessary investments in Pemex should be made,’ or ‘efforts to increase exploration and production of natural gas should be made to favor the petrochemical industry,’ or ‘deepen and coordinate all efforts to eliminate the black market in petroleum products.’ Notably, one word that does not appear in the text is ‘corruption,’ an unexpected omission by a candidate that vowed to end corruption by example. Finally, former Pemex director general Adrián Lajous recently calculated the average tenure of a director general as two years and four months. Pemex, legally configured as an agency of the federal government, always has a dozen cooks in its kitchen of corporate governance. If a director general had the authority to order early retirement for 35,000 Pemex unionized workers, there would be opportunities for leadership.

David Shields, independent energy consultant based in Mexico City: In a previous comment for the Energy Advisor on June 15, I mentioned that President-elect López Obrador’s energy team has excellent, progressive plans in renewable energy. Sadly, the same does not apply to conventional energy. The naming of Octavio Romero and Manuel Bartlett to head state-run Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has been severely criticized because of their hardline political, ideological, non-technical, non-business nature. They may be okay for rooting out corruption, but they add to fears that recent energy reforms may be rolled back, even if they and López Obrador himself deny legal amendments will be made. Congress will ultimately decide on this, and the outlook there is bad. Reforms can be reversed in practice, anyway, just through day-to-day opposition. López Obrador says he will push oil output up sharply to 2.5 million barrels per day, but reserves and reservoirs are largely depleted, there are no new discoveries, and there is not enough money for a vast exploration effort. Foreign operators will need several years to develop their projects. His best bet for ramping up output quickly would be fracking, but he promises to prohibit that, thinking that environmental risks will be greater than the benefits. His refining plans are unrealistic, too. López Obrador´s native Tabasco State offers the wrong site and the wrong logistics for a large-scale refinery to be built in just three years. Such a project normally requires two years to study, plan and tender, then another five or six years to build. Even then, it can hardly be profitable if Mexico produces and processes only very heavy crude. Intentions to rescue Pemex and reduce reliance on energy imports are good, but the prospects are not.

Oil Price / By The Dialogue / August 16

Interview with Graciela Álvarez, CEO of NRGI Broker

17 July, 2018/Hydrocarbons Storage, Insurance, Oil & Gas, Our Core, Pipelines, Risk Management, Surety and Guarantees

Mexico Oil & Gas Review / July 18

Company bio: NRGI Broker specializes in insurance and surety bonds for the Mexican energy sector. It develops custom-made solutions for companies operating in the energy sector, including vessel, construction and engineering and catastrophic risks.

Q: How has NRGI Broker created market opportunities to expand the reach of its services?

A: I am proud to say that we have played a great role in the implementation of the Energy Reform. We have been standing with our country since the beginning, we trusted the reform and now we have mastered how it works. We are a Mexican broker that has a broad services portfolio and we have consolidated as the best one in the market We have also established “Voces de Energía”, a forum where experts discuss the reform’s environmental, social and fiscal regulations.

Q: How will NRGI Broker benefit its potential clients and partners going forward?

A: In the long term, we see the company as a consolidated reference in the fields of insurance and sureties for the oil and gas industry. We are savvy about the needs of the companies along the entire value chain in hydrocarbons and we are an established adviser for risk management and on financial regulations. We started strong in offshore, ever since activity began in that area, and now we are talking about moving into onshore. The trend is to set new partnerships for storage, pipelines, clean energies and alike. We are investing in putting our brand’s name out there and showcasing that we offer a full range of services few other companies offer.

Q: What are the Top 3 successes of the Energy Reform?

A: I have a vivid memory of observing the Energy Reform’s application when I was acting as an adviser for ASEA in 2014, which gave me the chance to understand how the reform was set in motion. The first success was the implementation itself, which was accomplished according to the same spectrum of norms, rules and opportunities. The second success was the establishment of strong and transparent organisms to guide the implementation that facilitated the cohabitation of all different players in a single environment, which has grown to represent 18 operators. The third is the 72 percent rate of successful allocation of everything that has been tendered in the licensing rounds, demonstrating the genuine interest that local and foreign companies have in Mexico.

Q: How have local and foreign companies adapted to the new regulations and what have been the major hurdles in this process?

A: Everything comes down to an understanding that we need a unified regulatory framework and this cannot be implemented without looking at international standards. The reform’s planning was based on the experiences of seven countries that underwent similar processes, so it is molded to global requirements. Those international players that recently entered the market are used to these types of regulations since they apply to other territories, while many Mexican companies have previously worked with foreign partners that use those standards. For most local companies, application was not an issue. On the contrary, companies operating in the hydrocarbons sector now have the certainty of working in an environment protected by a well-established regulatory framework.

Q: How has NRGI Broker contributed to changing the local mindset and raising awareness about the need for insurance?

A: We advised ASEA when it conducted a three-year study on the best practices and experiences of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Norway, the UK and the US that could be applied to the Mexican case. We worked with it every step of the way to establish these rules, from offshore platforms to setting up gas stations, and we developed the administrative dispositions for insurance in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. Insurance is required if this industry is to function properly and this mandatory status made things easier for us in terms of application. We are certain about the need to transform the attitude toward insurance and to combine that with our experience, specialization and innovation to offer personalized solutions to our clients.

Q: How will PEMEX’s migration projects make the company more competitive and productive?

A: This is a great strategy for PEMEX to establish investment partnerships that are specialists in how fields work, the reserves included in those fields and the different options to exploit them. This is a long-term investment business that opens the door to new opportunities to turn PEMEX into a more competitive entity. It is a win-win situation. It is important to note that PEMEX gets to keep the land ownership for these migrations; they only allow investment from third parties. One of the company’s future strengths lies in its capitalization and the establishment of partnerships with technology-driven companies. By binding all the parties involved in these type of projects, the companies are forced to bring their A game and deliver on their promises because they would harm themselves if they fell short due to the interdependence ingrained in this framework.

Q: What direction would you like the next administration to follow related to the industry?

A: I hope the next administration understands the implication of keeping the Energy Reform afloat. The reform was meant to contribute to the country and it has been set in motion successfully. The next president should push for new partnerships to continue deepening the reform’s outreach. What is important to understand is that reversing this process would be harmful to the country and it would hurt many companies that have supported and invested in its application.

To read the 2018 edition click here.

Mexico Oil & Gas Review / July 18

Competitive fuel market is still some years off, analysts say

26 June, 2018/Mexico’s Energy Reform, News, Oil & Gas, Pipelines

Mexico News Daily / Mileno / June 25

Time, more investment required before gas prices will drop

It will take another two to five years to attain a truly competitive fuel market with lower gasoline prices for motorists, according to industry specialists.

The federal government’s 2013 energy reform opened up Mexico’s retail fuel market to foreign and private companies and there are now more than 2,000 gas stations that operate under a brand other than the state-owned Pemex.

But the increased competition hasn’t translated into cheaper fuel prices as had been expected.

“It was thought that it would be faster but that’s not the case,” said Rodrigo Favela, a consultant and fuel market analyst.

Favela told the newspaper Milenio that based on experiences in other countries, creating a competitive market takes time.

In addition, greater competition in the retail fuel market is not enough on its own to generate lower fuel prices, according to Mexico’s central bank.

In its regional economies report for the last quarter of 2017, the Bank of México said greater investment is needed in the entire gasoline supply chain from the refinery to the gas station in order for prices to drop.

Sebastián Figueroa, CEO of energy operator FullGas, told Milenio that gas stations in the north of the country could start competing on price within one to two years.

He cited proximity to the United States, the presence of existing pipelines, greater ease with which fuel can be imported and lower logistics costs as factors that will likely see fuel prices drop more quickly there than in other parts of the country.

In central states, Figueroa predicted that it would be another three to four years before competitiveness among gas stations increases due to the need for more infrastructure while in the southeast of Mexico, it could take up to five years or more.

In the latter region, the development of the new infrastructure that is needed — such as pipelines —is more complicated because of geological factors, he said.

Considering that fuel prices have actually risen since Mexico’s previously monopolized fuel market opened up, Milenio asked the president of the Senate’s energy committee whether energy reform should be considered a failure.

Salvador Vega Casillas, of the opposition National Action Party (PAN), rejected that suggestion but said it was a mistake to liberalize fuel prices at a time when the value of the US dollar was high against the peso. Gasoline prices were fully deregulated by November 30 last year.

However, Figueroa said that if the government had waited any longer to free prices, more problems could have been created for the sector because a subsidized model is not sustainable.

He maintained that the reform is a positive for Mexico, charging that having only one participant in the downstream sector led to inefficiency whereas competition forces gas stations to offer better deals to motorists.

Federal Energy Secretary Pedro Joaquín Coldwell has also contended that an open and competitive market is the best way to achieve gasoline prices that are accessible to all Mexicans.

Favela explained that there are three main factors that determine the price of petroleum at the pump: international crude oil prices, the prevailing exchange rate and logistics costs.

In order to generate a more competitive market, he argued, all petroleum companies should have non-discriminatory access to the nation’s oil terminals and ports.

Despite opening up the domestic fuel market to new players, the majority of Mexico’s petroleum infrastructure is still controlled by the state oil company Pemex.

The average price of regular — or Magna — gasoline has risen 17% this year, according to the consultancy PETROIntelligence, from 16.24 pesos per liter at the beginning of January to 19 pesos. Prices were as high as 19.11 pesos on Friday in Guadalajara.

Mexico News Daily / Mileno / June 25

La administración de riesgos en el sector hidrocarburos: Almacenamiento y Transporte por ductos

26 June, 2018/Environment, Hydrocarbons Storage, Insurance, Mexico’s Energy Reform, Oil & Gas, Oil Operators, Our Core, Pipelines, Risk Management, Surety and Guarantees

Las terminales de almacenamiento y los ductos son la infraestructura estratégica para lograr el avance y consolidación de la Reforma Energética.

Se trata, por tanto, de un área de oportunidad que seguirá generando nuevas inversiones, pero que a su vez incrementará los desafíos para los inversionistas, así como a las autoridades, principalmente en lo relativo a:

1) Asegurar el suministro energético.

2) Incrementar la competitividad mediante enfoques de menor costo.

3) Proteger a las personas, las instalaciones y el cuidado del medio ambiente.

Todo ello nos lleva a ser conscientes que en la medida que se incrementen las actividades de toda la cadena de valor de los hidrocarburos, también podemos vernos expuestos a mayores riesgos.

De ahí la importancia que tiene que las empresas adopten el enfoque de la administración de riesgos en el desarrollo de sus proyectos, para evitar que se produzcan eventos súbitos e indeseados que puedan provocar daños y perjuicios a terceros en sus instalaciones, activos o al bien que nos pertenece a todos, me refiero al medio ambiente y en caso de que suceda el incidente o accidente, los responsables cuenten con las garantías financieras que les permitan tener los recursos necesarios para asumir las responsabilidades y reparar los daños, ese respaldo es posible a través de un programa de seguros.

Todos estamos expuestos a sufrir un accidente, los riesgos son latentes en todas las actividades de la vida y especialmente en una industria calificada de alto riesgo, como es la de los hidrocarburos.

La diferencia está en la forma en que nos relacionamos con ellos. Si bien, las medidas de prevención y la utilización de los estándares y mejores prácticas internacionales de seguridad industrial y protección del medio ambiente pueden disminuir la frecuencia, son muchos los factores que inciden para que se presente un siniestro y algunos de ellos no se pueden prever, como es el caso de un desastre natural como son los huracanes o terremotos solo por citar algunos.

Con el adecuado programa integral de seguros, las empresas que realizan actividades con hidrocarburos y petrolíferos pueden contar con diversos beneficios:

Cumplen con sus responsabilidades legales en caso de causar daños o perjuicios a terceros que muchas veces llegan a ser mayores que el daño directo a los equipos o instalaciones.
Disponen del respaldo económico que les da la solvencia de las instituciones de seguros, por los riesgos a los que está expuesta la organización o actividad que llevan a cabo, porque los seguros cubren la mayor parte de riesgos del sector hidrocarburos desde la etapa de la exploración, la extracción, la construcción y hasta la operación de las terminales de almacenamiento y los ductos.
Protegen el patrimonio del asegurado, ya que en caso de un siniestro, la aseguradora no solo responderá por los daños ocasionados, sino que hace posible que las empresas puedan volver a trabajar sin sufrir un quebranto.
Los seguros no inmovilizan capital, pues basta con el pago de la prima para obtener certeza de su vigencia y sus beneficios.

En síntesis los seguros son un aliado estratégico para la operación exitosa de su negocio, que en el mundo entero han probado su eficacia.

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

Enbridge (ENB) Commences Mex-Border Pipeline’s Offshore Work

19 June, 2018/Hydrocarbons Storage, Mexico’s Energy Reform, News, Pipelines

Zacks Equity Research / June 14

Enbridge Inc. (ENB – Free Report) recently started construction work on its Valley Crossing natural gas pipeline’s border crossing offshore part, per Reuters. The $1.6 billion pipeline that lies between Mexico and Texas is scheduled to come online in October.

The energy infrastructure company is currently working on a 305-meter part of the pipeline’s offshore section, while the rest 165-mile onshore and offshore section is ready for operation. The company has plans to start the pipeline’s commissioning process soon.

Significance of the Pipeline

The Valley Crossing pipeline has a shipping capacity of 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d). It will transport gas from Texas to Mexico’s growing energy market. Following the energy reform in Mexico, the country witnessed a rising interest from international oil and gas companies.

Energy-related imports have risen in the country over the past few years. Mexico’s year-to-date average gas import from the United States currently stands at 4 Bcf/d.

The pipeline is designed to supply clean burning gas primarily to the Mexican state-run utility company, Federal Electricity Commission aka CFE, which has around 37 million clients. Moreover, the pipeline is expected to open new market opportunities for the gas producers in Texas. As a result, Enbridge’s cash flow is expected to benefit immensely.

There’s More

The Valley Crossing pipeline would to be connected to the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico, and is expected to create a huge pipeline network between the United States and Mexico. The Sur de Texas-Tuxpan pipeline is currently being built by a joint venture between Sempra Energy (SRE – Free Report) and TransCanada Corp. (TRP – Free Report) .

Price Performance

Calgary Canada-based Enbridge has lost 14% in the past year compared with 7.4% decline of its industry.

Zacks Rank and One Stock to Consider

Enbridge Energy carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors interested in the Energy sector can opt for a better-ranked stock like Delek US Holdings, Inc. (DK– Free Report) that sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Brentwood, TN-based Delek is an energy company. The company’s top line for 2018 is anticipated to improve 39.2% year over year, while its bottom line is expected to increase 230.2%.

Zacks Equity Research / June 14

Shell Midstream Partners buys stake in three Gulf of Mexico pipelines

2 January, 2017/News

Houston based Shell Midstream Partners has acquired minority stakes in three pipelines located in The Gulf of Mexico from BP for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition is said to be a move to consolidate its corridor pipeline strategy in the region for Shell Midstream.

The company has acquired 10% stake in the Proteus Oil Pipeline Company, 10% in the Endymion Oil Pipeline Company and 1% in Cleopatra Gas Gathering Company.

Shell Midstream Partners CEO John Hollowell said: “Our sponsor, Shell Pipeline Company is currently building the Mattox pipeline to serve the recently sanctioned Appomattox platform.

“Proteus and Endymion will connect the Mattox pipeline to onshore markets, creating a new corridor line, which will transport all of Appomattox’s volumes once it comes online toward the end of the decade.”

Proteus, a 71-mile crude oil pipeline of 425,000 bpd capacity, gives access to the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico from the Thunder Horse and Thunder Hawk platform to the Proteus SP 89E Platform.

Hollowell added: “Proteus also connects to the Thunder Horse platform which is a key development field for BP and ExxonMobil. In addition to Thunder Horse, Proteus is also currently connected to the Noble Energy, Inc. operated Thunder Hawk platform.”

Endymion, an 89-mile crude oil pipeline of 425,000 bpd capacity, also gives access to the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. With access to multiple markets, Endymion is connected to LOOP Clovelly storage.

A 115-mile gas gathering pipeline in Southern Green Canyo, Cleopatra is connected to the Holstein, Atlantis, Neptune, Shenzi and Mad Dog platforms. It has access to Atwater Valley, Lund and Walker Ridge areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Howell concluded: “This acquisition will deepen our footprint in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, an active area with a number of discoveries currently under appraisal.”

Shell Midstream revealed that the collective acquisition sum was equivalent to nearly 7.7 times its forecasted annual average adjusted EBITDA attributable to the purchased stakes during 2017 and 2018.

The amount was financed through borrowings under its revolving credit facilities and the acquisition is likely to be instantly accretive to shareholders, said the energy and petrochemicals consortium.