PEMEX Gets Gasoline Leak in Tonala Under Control

PEMEX successfully managed to get a gasoline leak caused by an illegal tap on the Salamanca-Puente Grande pipeline in the municipality of Tonala, Jalisco, under control. The incident, which occurred last Friday, has now been fully contained, and evacuated residents have returned to their homes.

Last week, approximately 2,100 people from Tonala, Juanacatlan, El Salto, and Zapotlanejo were evacuated due to the leak. The gasoline jet reached heights of up to 12m, with vapors spreading over a radius of about 3.5km from the leak site, reported La Jornada.

Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro confirmed that the emergency response involved a deployment of 260 public servants from all three levels of government. "The next step is for the PEMEX team to finish welding the pipeline before proceeding with cleanup efforts. Electricity has been restored, and residents of Tololotlan and Puente Grande (in Tonala) have returned home," he announced. No casualties were reported.

This incident underscores the ongoing challenge faced by PEMEX and local authorities in combating fuel theft, a problem that not only poses significant safety risks but also causes environmental damage and disrupts communities.

Concerns over huachicoleo (fuel theft) are not limited to their financial implications. Salvador Carrejo, President, COPARMEX Chihuahua, has expressed apprehension regarding the surge in fuel theft in the northern region of this state. He emphasizes the unfair competition that this practice poses to legal distributors and the resultant impact on the hydrocarbon market. Carrejo advocates for leveraging technological resources, suggesting that the government, particularly PEMEX, could employ advanced technologies such as drones to detect immediate pressure changes indicating illegal drains.

PEMEX has been waging a relentless battle against clandestine fuel taps for years. The latest figures, extending until August 2023, reveal that PEMEX has spent over MX$28 million (US$1.6 million) to seal off these illegal connections to gas pipelines within the state of Puebla. The numbers tell a story of escalating efforts: from MX$170,144 (US$9,816) allocated in December 2018 to address four fuel thefts, to an ever-increasing investment as the incidence of this crime soared over the following years.