Precise Metrology Ensures Transparent Transactions: CalPro

Q: How has CalPro transformed its services and adapted its business model in response to changing client needs and significant regulatory shifts in Mexico?
A: CalPro began as a calibration laboratory, initially serving the food and beverage industries, where we still maintain a significant client base. As we expanded, we also entered the pharmaceutical and the oil and gas sectors. Our reputation as a quality laboratory stems from consistent investment in high-precision equipment, ensuring accuracy and delivering additional value to clients beyond mere accreditation.

To further enhance client value, we developed an integral metrology system. This helps clients not only to receive calibration certificates but also interpret and leverage generated data, for instance, by correcting measurement errors in their industrial processes or understanding measurement uncertainty. We also offer training courses recognized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) and advisory services to maximize clients’ use of their information.

The energy reforms under former president Enrique Peña Nieto opened the market to new players, including oil operators and permit-holders. This liberation brought new regulations heavily focused on measurement for tracking purchases, sales, and inventory. These initial regulations mandated quality management systems for measurements, trained personnel, and compliant equipment. Subsequently, volumetric controls were introduced toward the end of the Peña Nieto administration and into the López Obrador presidential term. These regulations, rooted in Art. 28 of the Federal Fiscal Code and detailed in Annexes 30, 31, and 32 of the Miscellaneous Fiscal Resolution, mandate strict oversight across the entire hydrocarbon value chain, from extraction through final sale of various derivatives. Compliance requires measurement management systems, appropriate equipment, and secure, unhackable software.

This regulatory shift led CalPro to establish an inspection unit. We now audit clients’ measurement equipment and their software systems, verifying purchases and sales traceability via digital tax invoices (CFDI) and ensuring robust inventory control. The software is designed to ensure value chain integrity, facilitate balances, and flag discrepancies, such as attempts to introduce huachicol (illicit fuel), which would lack proper CFDI documentation or traceability. The system also registers any attempts to tamper with inventory data. Our deep involvement in these security and knowledge areas led us into the field of volumetric controls.
When these controls became mandatory, many clients lacked the necessary management systems. To assist them while maintaining our impartiality as an inspection body, we connected them with independent, third-party companies capable of developing these systems and ensuring compliance.

Q: What kind of companies compose CalPro's client base within the hydrocarbon value chain, and what are the primary measurement challenges they seek your help with?
A: CalPro serves a diverse clientele across the hydrocarbon value chain, including operators, transport companies, distributors, storage facilities, and service stations. 
A key challenge for clients is achieving full compliance with regulations like volumetric controls, as resistance, especially from illicit operations, persists. Addressing this requires robust Tax Authority (SAT) enforcement and broader taxpayer compliance to reduce illicit activities and complicity. Crucially, the audit standards of accreditation bodies must rise. Annex 31, for instance, mandates extensive expertise for inspection units like ours in areas including auditing, management systems, measurement, and various IT disciplines, a breadth of knowledge often exceeding individual capacity.
Higher accreditation standards will ensure inspection firms meet SAT's requirements, making illicit acts more difficult. While recent SENER regulations concerning volumetric controls show positive governmental intent, stronger overall enforcement is vital to benefit the country. CalPro positions itself as an active participant in all these efforts to enhance sector integrity and compliance.
 

Q: What is the impact of failing to address huachicoleo (fuel theft) and other illicit activities properly?
A: Huachicol causes annual losses of around MX$250 billion (US$12.7 billion). To illustrate the scale, the cumulative financial impact of such losses over a six-year presidential term would be comparable to nearly half the FOBRAPROA bailout and vastly overshadows other significant financial irregularities, such as the SEGALMEX case, highlighting a profound national financial drain.

Despite this challenging landscape, we see significant opportunities. While resistance to full compliance exists, the need for robust controls continues to grow, and CalPro positions itself as a leading national option to address this. Our firm has consistently been at the forefront of regulatory adoption. For example, we were the first company accredited under the CNH's technical measurement guidelines and CRE's pipeline transport regulations during the Peña Nieto administration. We were among the very first accredited for the current volumetric controls, which is a testament to our proactive approach.

This pioneering track record underscores our advanced capabilities and the strong value proposition we offer. Our current focus is to enhance our visibility and convince more clients to implement compliance measures correctly, partnering with the most qualified providers. 

A significant part of the challenge is differentiating professional services from unqualified actors in the market, some of whom may conduct audits without thorough site visits. Addressing these illicit market practices is essential for raising overall standards and effectively combating issues like huachicol.

Q: CalPro recently announced the integration of Relative Humidity as its most recent added parameter. How does this new accreditation enhance your ability to serve clients requiring high-quality environmental measurements?
A: We recently acquired a humidity chamber, a piece of equipment not commonly found, which offers excellent stability. This allows us to provide more competitive services, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry, although it has many other applications. The pharmaceutical sector extensively uses humidity and temperature measurements in its rooms, chambers, and operations. Controlling these variables is critical, as excessive humidity can lead to mold growth and raw material contamination. 

Measurement is always crucial to knowing the condition of incoming raw materials, how they are stored to prevent spoilage, and how they are transformed into the final product. Temperature and humidity are essential but not exclusive to the pharmaceutical sector. For instance, in the food and beverages segment, clients using sugar in beverages must measure its humidity. A sack of sugar with 50% moisture content is not the same as one with 0%. Added water increases weight and, potentially, cost.

Adjusting measurements to reference conditions is always important. The oil and gas sector serves as another example. If a crude oil barrel is measured at 35C° in a warm region, it must always be corrected to a reference condition, say 20C°. All measurements are brought to reference conditions to adjust for commercial transactions, such as purchases or sales, or for inventory balances. These magnitudes are frequently used for such corrections or to guide processes. Humidity measurement follows a similar principle.

Q: How has Mexico's national hydrocarbon measurement framework aligned with international standards? 
A: Mexico is doing very well; it is one of the most developed countries in Latin America in metrology, especially since the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization evolved into the Quality Infrastructure Law during the previous administration. In that sense, we seem to be on a good path. Unfortunately, what Mexico lacks is budget. Over this and the past administration, funding for measurement-related areas has been significantly cut. Perhaps the full importance of metrology has not been understood.

Q: Why does Mexico need to invest in metrology? 
A: Metrology is integral to everyday commercial transactions. It is present at the industrial level, in consumer products, and in numerous commercial interactions. The importance of fair measurement cannot be overstated. Given this importance, metrology requires substantial investment, as not everything necessary has been established yet. For example, Mexico still needs a primary gas measurement laboratory. We have vast natural gas measurement needs due to our enormous natural gas transport and distribution networks. While some laboratories exist, they may not offer the required accuracies or low uncertainties needed to fully serve the market. Some companies have capabilities, but more can be done, ideally involving our primary national laboratory, the National Metrology Center (CENAM).

Q: How will nearshoring investments impact your operations?
A: Nearshoring undoubtedly has a very positive impact on our operations. Companies involved will require calibration for their industrial processes, quality control laboratories, and any reference standards they maintain, and we can provide all these services. Furthermore, most of these companies consume LPG, natural gas, or diesel in their boilers or other operations, making them taxpayers subject to volumetric control regulations. We offer solutions to help them comply with SAT requirements. This allows us to create comprehensive service packages that go beyond individual calibration, supporting clients on multiple fronts.
 

Q: What are CalPro’s plans for the near term? 
A: Our priorities are to strengthen our inspection unit and to serve the self-consumption energy market. This market segment, initially outlined in 2023, was more clearly defined in 2025 regarding consumption thresholds that trigger regulatory compliance. Consequently, a large industrial and commercial market must now adhere to these regulations.

Our business group, VISU, is involved in several growing projects and businesses. For example, we see an opportunity to create a management company for solar panel installations. Elements of this ecosystem, such as installers, investment funds, and clients, already exist. With drivers like nearshoring, there is significant potential for installations in facilities such as hospitals or schools. Responding to these opportunities, we are developing this new business line aimed at integrating these existing elements. 


Calibraciones Profesionales e Ingeniería (CalPro) is a calibration laboratory certified by the Mexican Accreditation Entity (EMA), with 25 years of experience. The core laboratory has eight certified parameters.