Oil Theft, Energy Security and Energy Transition in Mexico
Open accessAbstract
Oil theft refers to the exploitation of crude oil or refined petroleum products for criminal purposes. In Mexico, oil theft—referred to as huachicolero—is endemic and widespread. By framing it within the energy security and transition context, this paper offers a new perspective on the problem of oil theft in Mexico. Focusing on crude oil and refined petroleum, the paper demonstrates that Mexico’s energy security—as framed around the 4As (availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptance)—has deteriorated over the past decade. Application of the 4As framework in the Mexican context shows that the increasing frequency of oil theft has contributed to this deterioration. The proposed solution to the energy security and oil theft problems is centred on Mexico moving from gasoline and diesel to electrification in the transportation sector. The paper demonstrates that, while transport electrification in Mexico has been lagging behind other countries, recent developments in the country point to growing momentum among the country’s political and business elites, in tandem with US partners, in support for the energy transition. Areas where further emphasis should be placed to accelerate Mexico’s energy transition in the transportation sector are identified. Finally, the feasibility of and potential limitations associated with implementing the transition are evaluated.
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Conventional fossil fuel energy resources such as coal, natural gas and oil are limited in quantity and will eventually be depleted at current global production rates, with estimated reserve-to-production lifetimes of approximately 139, 48.8 and 53.5 additional years, respectively.
“Conventional fossil fuel energy resources such as coal, natural gas and oil are limited in quantity and will eventually be depleted at current global production rates, with estimated reserve-to-production lifetimes of approximately 139, 48.8 and 53.5 additional years, respectively [77, 165].”
From Biofuel production: exploring renewable energy solutions for a greener future (2024) · cites this paper as [165]
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- Authors
- Vivoda, V., Krame, G., & Spraggon, M.
- Affiliations
- Rabdan Academy (AE)
- Research and Innovation Centre, Rabdan Academy, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 114646, United Arab Emirates
- Corresponding author
- Vivoda, Vlado
- Venue
- Resources
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2023-02-17
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 30
- ISSN
- 2079-9276 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4321374154
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5
- FWCI
- 2.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Resources (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Rabdan Academy Digital Repository (Rabdan Academy) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › General Energy › Global Energy Security and Policy
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › General Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Natural Resources and Economic Development
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies
- Keywords
- oil theft, energy security, energy transition, crude oil, electric mobility, Mexico, Mexico–United States relations
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