Mexico: Fuels: Diesel and Gasoline

Overview

 * Standard type: Fuel quality standard
 * Regulating body: Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), in partnership with Secretaria de Energía (SENER)
 * Current standard: NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005
 * Applicability: Motor vehicle fuels in Mexico are distributed exclusively by the national oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX)

History
NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005-published on 30 January 2006-modified the NOM-086-SEMARNAT-1994 (renamed from NOM-086-ECOL-1994) and fully replaced NOM-051-SEMARNAT-1993, which set standards for the allowable sulfur levels of industrial diesel used in stationary sources within the metropolitan region of Mexico City. The newer regulation addressed various aspects of fuel quality for petroleum-based fuels for use by on-road and off-road vehicles, as well as jet fuel, industrial fuels. and liquid petroleum gas.

For on-road fuels, NOM-086 set in place a timeline for sulfur reduction for gasoline and diesel fuel sold in Mexico. The national oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the exclusive distributor of motor vehicle fuels in Mexico, has not achieved the sulfur levels required by NOM-086 and continues to be in violation of the standard. PEMEX has guaranteed that diesel fuel sold in the border region and premium gasoline are, and will continue to be, in compliance with the standard.

As part of the Ley Reglamentaria del Artículo 27 Constitucional en el Ramo del Petróleo (Articulo 14 Bis.), passed by the Mexican Congress in 2008, fuel quality standards were to be established jointly by Secretaria de Energía (SENER), Mexico's ministry of Energy, and Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), the country's ministry of the environment and natural resources. However, SENER has not yet publicly released a proposal for fuel quality standards.

Diesel
NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005 defines two grades of diesel fuel:
 * Pemex Diesel is intended for use in on-road vehicles. The limit of 500 ppm, in place from the prior standard, was intended to be modified to 15 ppm according to the timeline below.
 * Diesel is intended for off-road vehicles, including for marine and agricultural use. The sulfur limit of 5000 ppm, also in place from the prior standard, was not modified by NOM-086.

The majority of the diesel sold in Mexico for on-road vehicles continues to contain sulfur above the 15 pm limit. PEMEX has guaranteed 15 ppm sulfur diesel in the border region and has stated that they are supply the major metropolitan regions of Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey with diesel meeting the 15 ppm standard. Diesel fuel for marine and agricultural applications, with a maximum sulfur limit of 5000 ppm, has a red colorant added to ensure that it is not used by on-road vehicles.

In addition to sulfur levels, NOM-086 also defines limits and requirements for various other diesel fuel attributes, including cetane level, lubricity, ash content, aromatics, viscosity, etc.

Gasoline
Pemex sells two different grades of gasoline fuel throughout the country, Pemex Premium (premium gasoline) and Pemex Magna (regular gasoline). At the start of NOM-086 implementation, Premium was allowed 250 ppm (average)/300 ppm (maximum) and Magna was allowed 300 ppm/500 ppm. The regulation set a timeline for sulfur reduction to an average of 30 ppm with a maximum of 80 ppm for both fuel types.

In addition to sulfur levels, NOM-086 also defines specifications for octane, aromatics, olefins, benzene, among other fuel quality parameters for gasoline.

Regulatory Documents

 * NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005


 * NOM-086-ECOL-1994


 * Ley Reglamentaria del Artículo 27 Constitucional en el Ramo del Petróleo