MEXICO CITY – The owner of Latin America’s biggest convenience store chain has become an unexpected winner in Mexico’s landmark oil overhaul.

While crude producers see delays in the promised end to the state monopoly on drilling, retailer Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB is taking advantage of a low-profile change that allows gas stations to bypass Petroleos Mexicanos to market any gasoline of their choice, according to reports from Bloomberg.

In February, Femsa agreed to acquire 227 gas stations, and it’s seeking to add even more pumps to complement the country’s omnipresent OXXO convenience stores.

Many in the energy sector are surprised by this unexpected turn of events in energy reform: “It’s ironic that companies related to oil aren’t seeing benefits, and those that have nothing to do with the industry are benefiting directly,” Cristina Morales, a Signum Research analyst, told Bloomberg in a telephone interview. “We’re seeing an upside to the energy reform that wasn’t so obvious.”

Femsa already had operated some services in the 227 stations, which the company said generated 16.2 billion pesos ($1.1 billion) in sales of gasoline and related products in 2014. “With the new regulatory framework resulting from the energy reform in Mexico, we will be able to open franchises ourselves,” CFO Javier Astaburuaga said on a Feb. 26 conference call.

Mexico passed legislation in 2013 to end state-owned Pemex’s production monopoly, which dated to 1938, and allow foreign companies to develop fields. Oil and petrochemical producers in the country probably will still benefit from the influx of foreign cash once drilling is under way, while food companies will be helped as increased output cuts power costs. In the meantime, experts are acknowledging a new synergy in the Mexican fuel and convenience retailing market: “It’s very positive. The gas stations will generate traffic to OXXO stores and OXXOs will generate traffic in gas stations.”