Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel In Mexico

By David Eidell (10/09)

As of the time of writing of this article Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) is available only in the following locations in Mexico:

• The entire state of Baja California. Its sister state Baja California Sur does not have ULSD.
• According to the station owner (Señor Meza) the Pemex station in the town of El Rosario (160 miles south of Ensenada) is the last chance to purchase ULSD on Mex 1 when headed south in Baja California.
• A narrow strip adjacent to the United States that varies in depth from ten miles to thirty miles depending on whether or not north-south highway arteries are present.
• Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel is available in certain limited areas of Mexico solely because its use is mandatory in diesel transport trucks that cross the border into the United States.
• Because of the worldwide economic slump plans to modify Pemex refineries have been frozen. There is a shortage of ULSD fuel in the USA so the dispensing of ULSD to Mexico has been strictly limited to such quantity that permits Mexican trucks to legally operate in the USA according to NAFTA agreements. Anything left over for non-commercial use should be considered a bonus.
• I have read various online accounts that claim ULSD is being sold in the cities of Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City. I am skeptical of these claims because ULSD must be transported solely by tanker truck from the United States and the number of diesel vehicles running around in these huge cities would require such a vast amount of fuel it would far outstrip the logistic ability to deliver sufficient ULSD, and then secondly it would drain an excessive amount of precious ULSD from US inventories.
• Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel is not present at the southern border areas with Belize or Guatemala.

It is unlikely that this situation will change in the foreseeable future.

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