Mexico imported a record volume of natural gas in 2012, about 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), which was up 21% from 2011. Natural gas flows from U.S. pipelines accounted for about 80% of Mexico’s overall natural gas imports in 2012; U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico in 2012 were almost 1.7 Bcf/d, more than 24% higher than in 2011. Since 2006, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) have made up the remainder of Mexico’s imported natural gas needs. Mexico’s LNG imports averaged about 0.4 Bcf/d in 2012, representing about 20% of its overall natural gas imports.
Imports of LNG became a part of Mexico’s gas supply starting in 2006. Mexico imports most of the LNG from Nigeria, Qatar, and Peru. LNG imports accounted for 38% of Mexico’s total natural gas imports in 2010, or more than 0.5 Bcf/d. LNG’s share of Mexico’s imports has declined since then because of growing natural gas imports via pipelines from the United States, which have been more economically attractive given the recent decline in U.S. natural gas prices.
The future role LNG imports may play in meeting Mexico’s need to provide natural gas reliability depends mostly on the relative economics and constraints of importing natural gas from the United States by pipeline versus the price and availability of importing LNG; production trends in Mexico; and the development of additional natural gas infrastructure in Mexico. Mexico’s LNG import capabilities are as follows:
[mappress]
Source: EIA, May 17, 2013