U.S. oil companies rush to Mexico's new market: report

HOUSTON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. oil and oil service companies are rushing to Mexico's newly freed market when the country ended the government-set fuel prices in its central and south region, local media reported on Friday.

On the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. trucks and trains scurry southward from Texas refineries to fuel distribution terminals in Mexico, the report said.

At the same time, an increasing number of foreign firms plan to invest in port terminals, fuel storage facilities and other logistics infrastructure in Mexico in order to compete with state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, the primary fuel vendor and distributor in the country.

Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc are among the international companies investing in service stations in Mexico and are now seeking to import fuel.

On Thursday, Mexico's energy regulator announced the end of government-set fuel prices in the remaining central and southern regions where price caps were still being applied.

After years of preparation, Mexico finished liberalizing prices for gasoline and diesel across the country. Enditem