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SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain – The northwestern Spanish region of Galicia will build 14 tugs – seven in its own shipyards and seven with Mexican shipyards – for oil giant Pemex, Galician regional government President Alberto Nuñez Feijoo said Thursday.

The deal is a “strategic alliance” that opens the way for the possible purchase by Pemex of a “flotel” under construction at private shipyards in Galicia and the state-owned oil company’s use of the outer port in the city of La Coruña as a “logistics base” in Europe, Nuñez Feijoo said.

The agreement confirms Galicia’s capabilities and helps “start, at last,” the Spanish region’s marine industry, Nuñez Feijoo told reporters.

Discussions about the alliance have been taking place for months, and the matter was addressed by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Mexican President Felipe Calderon at their recent meeting, the regional government chief said.

Both Galicia and Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, see a “reciprocal opportunity” in the deal, Nuñez Feijoo said.

Pemex has confirmed Galicia’s industrial capabilities and the attractive geostrategic location of the region’s ports, while Galicia views the deal as an “extremely important” boost for its marine industry, future as a port center and economy, Nuñez Feijoo said.

The deal is the “salvation” of the region’s shipyards, Nuñez Feijoo said, adding that Pemex could set up operations in La Coruña’s outer harbor in what would amount to a “great deal” for inaugurating the facility.

Pemex’s presence in the outer harbor would fit with Spanish oil company Repsol, which is currently in the inner port under a lease that expires in a year, the regional government chief said.

The Mexican oil company plans to start talks soon with the La Coruña Port Authority on gaining access to the outer harbor, Nuñez Feijoo said.

Pemex is aware of the EU veto on Navantia, the public shipyard in Galicia, continuing to build civilian vessels until 2015, Nuñez Feijoo said, adding that the contract contains a provision covering the “possibility” that the tugs could be constructed at public or private shipyards.

If the tugs have to be built outside the public shipyard, the Mexican navy would issue the contract to have the vessels made at Navantia since the shipyard can build ships for navies, Nuñez Feijoo said. EFE

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