The gas that powers Mexico also faces its own bottleneck, and despite efforts to strengthen the energy supply, the logistics of LP gas and natural gas are based on a vulnerable network , increasingly dependent on road transport due to a lack of operational pipelines and sufficient storage, specialists warned.
During the Midstream Forum Mexico 2025 , organized by Grupo T21 ( Energy21 and T21 ), industry analysts agreed that the weakness of the infrastructure made road transport the backbone and the most fragile point of the supply system.
Rocío Robles, executive president of the Mexican Association of Liquefied Gas Distributors and Related Companies (Amexgas) , explained that a large part of the gas sold in the country is transported by road, which represents a cost up to 17 times higher than pipeline transport .
Added to this are the recurring closures on strategic routes and security incidents in different sections, where carriers end up paying up to a thousand pesos per crossing in areas such as Zacatecas, Orizaba or Hidalgo, he explained.
Robles warned that the lack of infrastructure and the absence of clear regulations leave the country vulnerable to disruptions in the LP gas supply. He noted that coordination is still lacking to guarantee continuity and security of supply.
For his part, Gamaliel Corral, CEO of Gasoducto de Morelos , noted that around 70% of the natural gas consumed in Mexico comes from the United States, while domestic production covers only 30%.
This dependence, he said, creates vulnerability to external events such as the 2021 Texas Freeze , when pipeline freezing disrupted the country’s gas supply. Although the national gas pipeline network spans more than 18,000 kilometers, much of its capacity remains underutilized due to a lack of coordination between the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the private sector, he explained.
The growth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is emerging as an alternative for industrial areas without pipeline connections. Carlos Boone, Director of Business Intelligence and Corporate Affairs at Énestas Mexico , explained that LNG allows for serving regions where traditional infrastructure doesn’t reach, through a “virtual pipeline” model.
However, he noted that the development of new liquefaction plants can take up to three and a half years, which limits its immediate expansion.
Meanwhile, Susana Cazorla, director of SICEnrgy & Madero , explained that Mexico has only 34 LP gas storage terminals —one more than in 2018— and only three active pipelines for its transport.
Residential demand, which accounts for about 80% of national consumption , depends almost entirely on tank trucks and 20-30 kilogram cylinders, which raises logistics costs and multiplies the risks in distribution.
Experts agreed that the future of energy supply lies not in competition between LP gas and natural gas, but in the ability to generate a balanced energy mix.
The key, they pointed out, is to incentivize private investment, strengthen storage , and coordinate the government with transport and distribution companies.
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