The Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) activated a contingency plan after an oil spill was reported yesterday morning at facilities belonging to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), 46 nautical miles north of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche.
In a statement, the Permanent Observatory of the Gulf of Mexico detailed that Pemex located the leak in a pipeline and is already working to contain it.
“At 6:45 a.m. on the same day, the Secretariat of the Navy activated the ‘Local Contingency Plan’ through the Regional Emergency Response and Management Group (GRAME), established in Ciudad del Carmen, to support Pemex in the containment and recovery of hydrocarbons offshore. For this purpose, it deployed the Ocean Patrol Vessel ARM ‘Guanajuato’ and four vessels, as well as two aircraft and 255 naval personnel,” the organization detailed.
So far, authorities have issued four reports based on satellite observations using Synthetic Aperture Radar and multispectral images showing the evolution of the oil slick.
According to simulations carried out by scientists from the Permanent Observatory of the Gulf of Mexico, it is considered unlikely that the spill will reach the coast or any sensitive area. However, they explained that they will continue making forecasts due to the possibility that the drift could change direction over the next 10 days because of the possible arrival of a cold front in the region.
Later, Petróleos Mexicanos published a brief message on social media detailing that, as part of the actions implemented to address the incident, the leaking pipeline was depressurized to contain the release, while recovery efforts in the area continue.
In addition, the energy company is carrying out inspections and repair work on the pipeline.
Pemex said that no impacts on personnel or nearby beach areas affected by the leak have been reported.
Oil spills and hydrocarbon leaks at Pemex facilities have undergone a structural change over the past decade, going from relatively low levels to a recurring problem of significant magnitude.
Pemex is facing a crisis marked by debt, declining production, and a lack of investment.
In her 2027 budget proposal, President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed reducing government support for the company’s debt payments by nearly 70%. As of the second quarter of 2026, the company’s debt had reached $77.5 billion.
Source: eleconomista
