Gas policy comes under spotlight

摘要

Disruption to gas imports following an unusually severe cold snap in the southern US has brought Mexico’s energy policy into sharp relief, especially its abandon- ment of plans to expand domestic gas storage capacity. The administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has scrambled to limit the impact of the shortages on industry and the power sector, which is heavily reliant on imported gas. State-owned utility CFE propped up the sys- tem with additional capacity running on coal, diesel and fuel oil. But concerns that Texas’ restrictions on gas exports would paralyse power generation proved unfounded as pipeline fows continued, albeit at reduced rates, supplemented by emergency LNG shipments. Flows through state-owned pipeline operator Cena- gas’ system were curtailed by an average of 30pc, while CFE saw deliveries along its pipeline network cut by about 1bn ft~3 /d (10.3bn m~3 /yr), against a backdrop of soaring prices in some areas of the US.