Pemex depressurizes pipeline after spill 85 km off Ciudad del Carmen

Petróleos Mexicanos depressurized the pipeline that caused a hydrocarbon spill detected on the morning of September 10, 2026, 46 nautical miles, roughly 85 kilometers, north of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. The report from the Permanent Observatory of the Gulf of Mexico, released on September 11, indicates that the body activated its continuous observation and spill forecasting protocol.

The Observatory is a monitoring system coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (Secihti), with participation from Pemex, the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) and the Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment (ASEA), and it operates with satellite observations and forecast models. The area lies in the Campeche Sound, off coasts with fishing activity in Campeche and Tabasco, so the evolution of the slick is being tracked through public reports. Proceso documented that a Pemex team identified the leak in a pipeline and that containment work continues.

Semar activated the Local Contingency Plan at 6:45 a.m. on September 10 through the Regional Emergency Response and Management Group of Ciudad del Carmen, deploying the ARM Guanajuato Ocean Patrol vessel, four boats, two aircraft and 255 naval personnel. Pemex reported no impacts on personnel or beach areas, according to the statement reported by La Razón. ASEA scheduled an overflight to document containment, cleanup and pipeline repair work. The Observatory issued four satellite reports, with synthetic aperture radar and multispectral images, plus three forecast models pointing to a net westward movement of the hydrocarbon over the following five days. Its coordinator, Abigail Uribe, said it is very unlikely that the oil will reach the coast or any sensitive area during that period.

The Observatory will keep the simulations running given the possible arrival of a cold front within a 10-day horizon, which could alter the slick's course. The results of the ASEA overflight and progress on the pipeline repair are the next points to watch. The reports did not specify the volume spilled.

This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.