Adds size of ports in fourth paragraph.)
By Andres R. Martinez
March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Petroleos Mexicanos closed its largest and smallest oil export terminals in the Gulf of Mexico because of heavy rain and winds.
The terminals at the ports of Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas are closed, Mexicoâs Merchant Marine said today in a weather bulletin posted on its Web site.
Pemex, the second-largest supplier of oil to the U.S., exported 1.225 million barrels of crude a day in 2009. About 85 percent, or 1.086 million barrels, was sold to the U.S. last year, according to Pemex statistics. Canada is the U.S.âs largest supplier of crude.
Cayo Arcas is the Mexico City-based companyâs largest export terminal, followed by Coatzacoalcos and Dos Bocas, respectively. Pemex exports oil from the Gulf of Mexico ports, which routinely close during hurricane season and in winter because of so-called north storms.
Pemex exported 958,798 barrels a day from Cayo Arcas; 156,514 barrels a day from Coatzacoalcos; and 99,196 barrels a day from Dos Bocas last year. Cayo Arcas handles Maya crude, a cheaper grade of heavy sour crude used by refineries in Texas. Coatzacoalcos is used to export Maya and Olmeca grade crudes.
âSweetâ and âsourâ refer to the oilâs sulfur content, while âheavy,â âmediumâ and âlightâ refer to its density.
--Editors: Robin Saponar
To contact the reporter on this story: Andres R. Martinez in Mexico City at
amartinez28@bloomberg.net;