Riding the Crest of the Wave

Q: How has the company navigated the changes in the industry?

A: The industry has indisputably undergone a period of difficult changes, especially for maritime companies that service the oil and gas sector. This will continue into 2018 with the industry currently in the crest of the wave. Naviera Integral is riding the wave successfully thanks to our commitment to efficient operations and management without neglecting the quality of our services. Our company is characterized by innovation and by being more technologically advanced than other companies in our sector. In 2016 alone, we added three new ships to our fleet with state-of-the-art technology, differentiating us from our competitors. These new technologies reduce pollution and the quantity of fuel consumed because they use clean energy sources. Implementing these changes has positioned us in the market as pioneers and allows us to create new expectations for the sector.

Q: Why has Naviera stayed away from traditional business strategies?

A: International best practices from countries such as the Netherlands inspire us to offer better services. When establishing a strategy, it is important to consider the entire logistics process a customer is expecting, which is why we invest in new vessels, machinery and design. This guarantees that we can offer our clients a well-rounded, efficient service using the latest technology. Customers are looking for security, efficiency and cost-optimization and services that are environmentally friendly.

Q: How is Naviera Integral positioned as new operators enter the Mexican market?

A: Naviera Integral has more than 30 years of experience working in Mexico’s offshore market. Mexico’s fleet is within the top five most important in the offshore market worldwide and Naviera Integral is number one in the country.

Q: How many ships are in your fleet?

A: Naviera Integral has 36 Mexican ships in its fleet. We stopped constructing new ships because of the recent crisis and have decided to simply observe the market for a while.

With our fleet we can satisfy the demand of the incoming market. We continue to work with PEMEX, although we have reduced our percentage of active vessels to 70 percent, and are keeping a close eye on the NOC’s contracts that will expire in 2017. Naviera Integral will continue to adapt to 201 meet the needs of our clients.

There are many alternatives within the maritime transport sector that are not related to oil and gas. If our fleet is immobilized for a long period of time we run the risk of it depreciating and deteriorating at a much faster rate, making it much more expensive to repair. PEMEX must be ready to make a decision regarding fleet contracts because we cannot afford to wait five years to see what happens. There are new players, new rules and new standards in the market and we will be ready to work alongside whoever needs our expertise.

Q: Which ports are most likely to see the highest demand in the coming year?

A: Ciudad del Carmen is remodeling a section of the port but it will not be enough to cover the necessities of the industry and it will not become a hub in the future. Mexico must look to the north for growth. Campeche is a virgin port and has many opportunities for growth. The north of Veracruz will offer various opportunities for shallow waters while the Port of Matamoros will meet the needs of the deepwater rounds in the north of the country.

The industry is demanding modernized ports that have the technology available for it to grow. The government is promoting the creation of the Special Economic Zones (ZEEs) that will be in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche and Yucatan and function as polygons of development. Naviera Integral is well positioned in Campeche and Tamaulipas and is looking to enter Veracruz very soon.