Introduction to Pemex and the Fuel Theft Issue
Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, has reported a significant increase in losses due to fuel theft. In its first-quarter 2025 report, Pemex disclosed that losses amounted to 5,471 million pesos, marking a 17.4% rise compared to the same period in 2024 when losses totaled 4,659 million pesos.
Decrease in Clandestine Taps but Rising Losses
Although the number of clandestine taps on Pemex pipelines at the beginning of 2025 reached their lowest levels since the arrival of the Fourth Transformation, Pemex’s losses have still been the second-highest since then.
According to Pemex data, there have been 1,672 clandestine taps on its pipelines for fuel theft during the first two months of 2025, a 28% decrease compared to the 2,313 taps recorded in the same period of 2024.
This represents the lowest number since 2019, the first year of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. Pemex figures, disclosed through a public information request, show that between 2022 and 2023, the cases increased from 13,946 to 14,890, similar to the 2018 record with the highest number of clandestine taps in at least the last two administrations.
While most states have seen a decrease in clandestine taps on Pemex pipelines crossing their territories, six states have experienced an increase.
- Chihuahua: 16% increase from 37 to 43 taps
- Campeche: 100% increase from 0 to 1 tap (no records for the previous year)
- Michoacán: 600% increase from 1 to 7 taps
- Oaxaca: 73% increase from 9 to 11 taps
- Sonora: 200% increase from 3 to 9 taps
- Tabasco: 16% increase from 37 to 43 taps
So far in 2025, clandestine taps have been reported in 19 states.
Financial Impact of Fuel Theft
Pemex’s first-quarter 2025 report also highlighted the financial consequences of fuel theft, with losses totaling 5,471 million pesos – a 17.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024 when losses amounted to 4,659 million pesos.
This marks the second-highest loss record for a similar period since López Obrador took office, only surpassed by 2023 when the financial impact on the company was 5,716 million pesos.
Pemex’s quarterly records between 2019 and 2021 showed a decline in losses due to fuel theft. However, starting from 2022, there was a significant increase of 148% in losses, reporting 3,004 million pesos compared to the preceding year.
Pemex has consistently reported that fuel theft is one of its primary operational risks, sometimes involving its own employees. However, since at least the first quarterly report of 2025 and the annual report of 2024, Pemex has stated that it is monitoring measures to combat fuel theft and other criminal activities.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex)? Pemex is Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company responsible for exploration, production, refining, and marketing of oil and natural gas.
- What has led to the increased losses for Pemex? The primary cause is fuel theft, with clandestine taps on Pemex pipelines resulting in substantial financial losses.
- How many clandestine taps were reported in the first two months of 2025? There were 1,672 reported clandestine taps, a 28% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
- Which states have seen an increase in clandestine taps? Chihuahua, Campeche, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Sonora, and Tabasco have experienced an increase in clandestine taps.
- What are the financial implications of these losses for Pemex? The losses amounted to 5,471 million pesos in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 17.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
