In early April 2019 the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) issued Resolution A/009/2019, which has clarified the scope of the general administrative provisions (GAPs) on metering which apply to holders of permits to store petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemicals. In issuing the resolution, the CRE has further relieved applicable permit holders from their obligations to comply with specific requirements.

Resolution A/009/2019 was issued in response to concerns raised by petroleum, petroleum product and petrochemical storage terminal owners and operators that had experienced difficulties or had been unable to comply with the GAPs due to:

  • a lack of clarity;
  • a duplication of their obligations; or
  • a lack of specialised companies available to verify compliance.

In order to remedy these issues, Resolution A/009/2019 provides as follows:

  • The obligation to submit an annual metering administration system (MAS) compliance report has been suspended until the GAPs have been fully reviewed.
  • Pressure and temperature reference conditions (ie, T=293.15K (20oC) and P=101.325kPa) will be used only for preparing MAS reports for the CRE. These reference conditions will not be used for metering (in practice, metering is performed in accordance with environmental conditions).
  • MAS reports must be prepared considering only Mexican Official Standard (NOM) NMX-CC-10012-IMNC-2004 (Metering Administration Systems – Requirements for Metering Processes and Metering Equipment).
  • The sampling section set out in the GAPs need not be complied with, as other NOMs already cover this topic (ie, NOM-016-CRE-2016, Quality Specifications for Petroleum Products).

Finally, the CRE has ruled that it is necessary to complete a review of the GAPs and convert them into an NOM in order to give certainty to the market and protect the interests of petrochemical storage terminal owners and operators. The CRE is expected to undertake this review in the near future.

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