Pemex, Badly in Need of Cash, Works on Plan to List Some Assets

With oil prices stuck near a 12-year low and output in free-fall, speculation is mounting that Petroleos Mexicanos will seek to raise cash by selling stakes in pipelines and oil terminals that might have otherwise been off limits.

The state-owned oil company will probably take advantage of new rules creating master limited partnerships in Mexico, according to company officials and the head of Mexico’s stock exchange. Known as MLPs in the U.S. and Fibra E in Mexico, the investment vehicles allow companies to sell shares of individual assets to investors lured by attractive tax exemptions.

For Mexico, it represents the latest attempt by the government and industry to lure private investment and spur faster growth in Latin America’s second-biggest economy after President Enrique Pena Nieto pushed through a series of measures ending the state’s 76-year oil monopoly. For Pemex, it could be a source of much-needed cash after the collapse of oil prices led to a record $10 billion loss in the third quarter.

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