PRESIDIO, Texas -- A “mysterious” gasoline shortage in Northern Mexico has meant a small boon of business for fuel retailers in Texas border towns.
According to Fusion.net, towns such as Presidio, Texas, have seen an influx of Mexican vehicles this past week, lining up at local gas stations to fill up. This comes as an unexplained fuel shortage roils the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, which has a population of 4.8 million people.
At an Exxon station in Presidio—one of only three in the town of 6,000 people—dozens of vehicles were lined up on the shoulder of the road early last week. The station soon sold out of fuel. After a tanker resupplied it with a delivery of 3,000 gallons, the Exxon site’s had already pumped out one-third of it.
Another retailer, Texaco-branded Tom’s Service Station, ran dry two hours after opening.
“We sold about 1,000 gallons of gas between 8:30 and 10:30 [a.m.],” owner Norberto Ornelas told Fusion.net. This compares to an average daily volume of around 400 gallons. While Ornelas typically orders new fuel shipments every 10 days, he was forced to make an emergency next-day order to keep up with demand.
One customer, an American who had been on vacation in Chihuahua, told the news site that he had to shorten his trip because of gas shortages. He reportedly had been waiting in line for one and a half hours to fill up.
Another customer from a Mexican city across the border from Presidio described the gas shortage as “a huge problem.”
Ernesto Laphond, president of Onexpo Nacional A.C., a union representing Mexican gas-station owners, expected the shortage to last through the weekend. He cited a few causes, including technical issues at a local refinery, which triggered a wave of “panic buying” for gasoline. Separately, 20 local gas stations recently closed because of a legal dispute, which further impacted supply.
Another issue could be with Pemex, the Mexican state oil company, which had reportedly cut Chihuahua’s fuel supplies by one-half since early June. Political discord could be to blame, as well.
Regardless, gas-station owners in Presidio were happy with the unexpected spike in demand.
“This thing was surprising,” Ornelas told Fusion.net. “It’s good for business.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.