Pemex starts US$157mn pipeline maintenance investments

Mexico's state oil company Pemex has launched investments totaling 1.68bn pesos (US$157mn) for maintenance and repairs of its hydrocarbons storage terminals and pipelines this year to reduce accidents and combat fuel theft, government news agency Notimex reported. Of the total investment, 46%, or some 771mn pesos, are for projects currently underway, Notimex reported. Repair works on Pemex's national pipeline system represent 20%, or 341mn pesos of the total investment, Notimex reported. Some 42% (714mn pesos) of the total investment amount corresponds to projects currently being tendered, 6% (109mn pesos) for projects already awarded and 5% (87.8mn pesos) for projects already completed, Notimex reported. In the first 10 months of 2005, Pemex repaired 796km of pipelines, which represents an increase of 87% compared to the same period of 2004, Notimex reported. Of the total length of pipelines repaired from January-October 2005, 69% corresponded to pipelines in the northern region (Madero-Linares-Cadereyta and Satélite-Gómez Palacio), 17% in the Gulf of Mexico region (Nuevo Teapa-Salina Cruz and Nuevo Teapa-Mazumiapan) and 14% in the Pacific region (Guaymas-Obregón, Guaymas-Hermosillo and Rosarito in Baja California state).