The number of illegal taps drilled into Mexican oil and gas pipelines to steal fuel has doubled so far in 2013, one of the few crime-related statistics the administration of new President Enrique Pena Nieto says has grown since he took office in December.
Authorities said today the reason for the reported rise remains unclear.
There are some indications that a thriving industry has grown up of selling stolen fuel in Mexico and even exporting it.
Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, says 1,421 illegal fuel taps have been discovered in the first six months of this year, almost twice the 722 taps uncovered in the same period of 2012.
Thieves made off with the equivalent of 2.7 million barrels of fuel, equal to more than one day of the company's annual oil output. The company has estimated that such thefts cost it about USD 5 billion a year.
Just as importantly, the illegal fuel taps, known in Mexico as "tomas clandestinas", frequently result in explosions or fires, such as a pipeline explosion Sunday that injured seven people on the outskirts of Mexico City.
One attempted theft caused an explosion that killed 29 people in December 2010.
"Every toma clandestina, or most of them, pose a risk to life and property," said George Baker, a Houston, Texas-based industry analyst who runs an energy newsletter focused on Mexico. "It makes a big impact on government revenues and taxes.
