Mexican Diesel Fuel - Sulfur Levels Update
Update Regarding Diesel Fuel in Mexico - September 27, 2017 The Mexico Snowbird Season for 2017/18 is fast approaching, so here is an update regarding sulfur levels in Mexican diesel fuel and the p...
Forum Discussion
Today I received the results from lab testing of a sample of diesel fuel I collected from the main Pemex station at Los Barriles, in the Southern Baja, about one hour north of San Jose del Cabo.
I collected the sample in late November because there had been ZERO reports of sulfur-in-fuel related issues up until that point this winter season, and my own truck, a 2016 GMC Sierra Duramax had also not experienced any sulfur-in-fuel related symptoms. In past years, by the end of November, I would have needed to force at least 2 regenerations to burn sulfur out of the emissions system, and there would have been lots of sulfur-in-fuel problems in Cabo, La Paz, La Ventana, Mulege, and Loreto.
Five weeks have passed while I have been waiting for the lab results, because the sample had to be transported to a lab in the USA. During these five weeks of waiting there have still been NO instances of sulfur-in-fuel related issues reported to me in the Southern Baja, and my own truck has not required a single forced regen since my arrival at the end of October.
The anecdotal evidence has been suggesting that the fuel is ULSD, and now the lab test has confirmed it. The sample tested at 6.3ppm, which is significantly lower than the 15ppm required to meet ULSD specifications.
I have tried to get official confirmation that the desulfuring upgrade to the refinery supplying this area has been completed but nobody at Pemex will confirm or deny that the upgrade has been done. However, the very low levels of sulfur mean that the fuel came from a very modern desulfuring facility.
At this point I feel confident that there is enough evidence to declare that the diesel fuel in the Southern Baja is now ULSD.
In other words, all of the diesel fuel on the Baja, from top to bottom, is presently ULSD. There are no guarantees in life, but it appears that Pemex has completed the conversion from LSD to ULSD in this area.
I collected the sample in late November because there had been ZERO reports of sulfur-in-fuel related issues up until that point this winter season, and my own truck, a 2016 GMC Sierra Duramax had also not experienced any sulfur-in-fuel related symptoms. In past years, by the end of November, I would have needed to force at least 2 regenerations to burn sulfur out of the emissions system, and there would have been lots of sulfur-in-fuel problems in Cabo, La Paz, La Ventana, Mulege, and Loreto.
Five weeks have passed while I have been waiting for the lab results, because the sample had to be transported to a lab in the USA. During these five weeks of waiting there have still been NO instances of sulfur-in-fuel related issues reported to me in the Southern Baja, and my own truck has not required a single forced regen since my arrival at the end of October.
The anecdotal evidence has been suggesting that the fuel is ULSD, and now the lab test has confirmed it. The sample tested at 6.3ppm, which is significantly lower than the 15ppm required to meet ULSD specifications.
I have tried to get official confirmation that the desulfuring upgrade to the refinery supplying this area has been completed but nobody at Pemex will confirm or deny that the upgrade has been done. However, the very low levels of sulfur mean that the fuel came from a very modern desulfuring facility.
At this point I feel confident that there is enough evidence to declare that the diesel fuel in the Southern Baja is now ULSD.
In other words, all of the diesel fuel on the Baja, from top to bottom, is presently ULSD. There are no guarantees in life, but it appears that Pemex has completed the conversion from LSD to ULSD in this area.
