Sener To Boost Jobs During Salamanca Refinery Rehab

(Energy Analytics Institute, 15.Jul.2020) — Mexico’s Energy Secretariat anticipates a rise in the number of workers to be employed during the rehabilitation of the Salamanca refinery this year versus last. In terms direct administration positions, the secretariat announced it anticipates employing 1,458 workers in 2020 compared to 1,118 in 2019 […]

Sener Authorizes Unification Of Zama Shared Deposit

(Energy Analytics Institute, 8.Jul.2020) — Mexico’s Energy Secretary (Sener) instructed the unification of a shared reservoir between the Zama field discovered through Contract CNH-R01-L01-A7 / 2015 by Talos Energy Offshore and Assignment AE-0152-Uchukil which is under ownership by Mexico’s state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). In compliance with Article 42 […]

US Gas Exports To Mexico Set To Rise

(EIA, 6.Jul.2020) — Exports of natural gas by pipeline are the largest component of U.S. natural gas trade, accounting for 40% of all U.S. gross natural gas exports in 2019. EIA expects these exports to increase with the completion of the southern-most segment of the Wahalajara system, the Villa de […]

Maersk Awarded Deal Offshore Suriname

(Evercore ISI, 30.Jun.2020) — Maersk Drilling announced the 6th-Gen Maersk Developer was awarded a one-well exploration contract from Petronas for offshore Suriname. The $20.4M backlog includes integrated drilling services and mobe & demobe fees, which implies an all-in dayrate of $267kpd for an estimated 75 days. Notes DRLCO COO Morten […]

Mexico’s Oil Hedge To Be Pricier

(Reuters, 15.Jun.2020) — Mexico will have to pay more for less coverage under its giant oil revenue insurance policy for 2021, but will likely go ahead anyway to avoid further damaging its financial standing with international investors, sources said. The finance ministry’s billion-dollar oil hedge is the world’s largest. It […]

CNH Again Extends Timeframe For Oil Permits

(Reuters, 4.Jun.2020) — Mexico’s oil regulator will allow energy firms more time to secure permits and plan approvals, it said in on Thursday, in effect extending a freeze on all deadlines until the government determines it is safe to resume official work. The latest extension due to the coronavirus pandemic […]

Pemex Continues With Tula Refinery Contingency

(Energy Analytics Institute, 3.Jun.2020) — Pemex’s “Miguel Hidalgo” refinery in Tula carried out preventive measures to mitigate the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic among its work force as well as personnel from contractor companies. Since commencement of contingency efforts, more than 10,000 face masks have been delivered at the entrance […]

Libre Abordo Announces Bankruptcy

(Reuters, 31.May.2020) — Mexico-based company Libre Abordo said on Sunday it was bankrupt and that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had terminated an oil-for-food agreement that had allowed the firm to supply water trucks in exchange for millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude. Libre Abordo and its related firm Schlager Business […]

LatAm Infrastructure Projects At Risk

(Fitch Ratings, 27.May.2020) — Latin American infrastructure projects face heightened risk of grantor payment delays driven by the increased pressure the coronavirus pandemic is placing on government finances, according to a new Fitch Ratings report. “Sharper delays, depending on materiality and duration, could rapidly lessen payment capacity of projects with […]

Pemex Reiterates No Fracking Mandate

(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 22.May.2020) — Mexico’s state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos or Pemex announced it remains committed to not conducting fracking activities as part of its aim to protect is citizens. The state oil giant revealed the details 22 May 2020 in a Twitter post. © Energy Analytics […]

NOCs To Slash Exploration Budgets

(WoodMac, 20.May.2020) — National oil companies (NOCs) globally are estimated to cut exploration budgets by over a quarter on average in 2020, says Wood Mackenzie. The analysis is based on announcements and tracking well plans of 11 top spending NOC explorers, including three Chinese NOCs, PTTEP, PETRONAS, ONGC, Qatar Petroleum, […]

Energy Dispute Deepens Between In Mexico

(Reuters, 16.May.2020) — The European Union and Canada have formally raised concerns to Mexico about rules they say endanger renewable energy projects, escalating tensions with its government, which late on Friday moved to tighten its control over the power industry. In letters that were leaked to Mexican media on Friday, […]

Pemex’s Oil Reserves Replacement Rate Jumps

(Reuters, 11.May.2020) — The replacement rate of proven oil and gas reserves estimated by Mexican national oil company Pemex soared in 2019 compared to the previous year, according to the firm’s annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Pemex’s 2019 replacement rate, a measure of new discoveries […]

Pemex Files 2019 Annual Report, Form 20-F

(Pemex, 11.May.2020) — In compliance with the Disposiciones de Carácter General aplicables a las Emisoras de Valores y a Otros Participantes del Mercado de Valores, in May 8, Petróleos Mexicanos filed its Annual Report as of December 31, 2019. Similarly, on the same day, PEMEX filed its Annual Report with […]

Qatar Petroleum Enters Into Three Mexican Blocks

(Qatar Petroleum, 5.May.2020) — Qatar Petroleum entered into three farm-in agreements to acquire about 30% of Total’s participating interest in blocks 15, 33 and 34 located in the Campeche basin, offshore Mexico. Each of the farm-in agreements is subject to customary regulatory and other approvals by Total’s existing partners and […]

Cairn Provides Mexico Drilling Update

(Cairn Energy, 5.May.2020) — Operations have been completed on the Eni operated Ehecatl-1 exploration well on Block 7, located in the Sureste Basin Offshore Mexico, in which Cairn has a 30% working interest through wholly owned subsidiary Capricorn Energy Mexico.  The exploration target of the well was to prove hydrocarbons […]

Pemex Presents Audited Stmts As Of 31 Dec. 2019

(Pemex, 4.May.2020) — In compliance with the Disposiciones de Carácter General aplicables a las Emisoras de Valores y a Otros Participantes del Mercado de Valores, today Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) presented to the Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV, by its Spanish acronym) and the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV, by […]

Repsol Makes Deepwater Oil Find In Mexican Waters

(Repsol, 4.May.2020) — Repsol has made two significant offshore oil discoveries in Mexico’s deep water with its Polok-1 and Chinwol-1 exploration wells in Block 29 in the Salina Basin. Both wells confirmed high quality reservoirs with excellent properties, encountering net oil pay of 200 meters and 150 meters respectively. Highlights: […]

Mexico Indefinitely Halts New Clean-Energy Plans

(Bloomberg, 2.May.2020) — Mexico’s Centro Nacional de Control de Energia (Cenace), which oversees the electrical system, indefinitely suspended critical tests for new clean-energy projects as the nation grapples with the spread of the coronavirus. Preoperative tests of intermittent power plants would be suspended along with other measures to increase the […]

Pemex To Prioritize Lower-cost Production

(Reuters, 27.Apr.2020) — Mexico’s state oil firm Pemex on Monday detailed measures aimed at mitigating the effects of a steep drop in oil prices, saying it would prioritize lower-cost production that would allow the government to comply with its “international commitments.” Petroleos Mexicanos, as the firm is formally known, detailed […]

Pemex Declares Force Majeure On Fuel Imports

(Reuters, 23.Apr.2020) — Mexican state oil company Pemex has declared force majeure over fuel imports from its trading arm PMI Comercio Internacional, two sources with knowledge of the decision said Thursday, as demand craters due to fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Many gasoline and diesel importers around the world have […]

Pemex’s Trading Arm Declares Force Majeure

(Bloomberg, 23.Apr.2020) — Mexico, the largest recipient of U.S. gasoline exports, is seeking to cancel imports of the fuel from at least one U.S. company amid the rippling effects of the coronavirus on demand. Petroleos Mexicanos’s trading unit, PMI, declared force majeure on imports of gasoline as an armada of […]

Mexico Announces Emergency $25.5bn Package

(S&P Global Platts, 22.Apr.2020) — Mexico announced a Peso 622.56 billion ($25.5 billion) package on Wednesday that will help the nation face the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, with the focus on Pemex, the state-controlled oil firm. The emergency budget will be aimed at 38 priority projects of the […]

Fitch Downgrades PEMEX, CFE, IEnova And Cometa

(Fitch Ratings, 17.Apr.2020) — Fitch Ratings has downgraded the international Foreign- and Local-Currency Long-Term ratings for Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. B. de C. V. y Subsidiarias’ (IEnova) and Cometa Energia, S. A. de C. V. following this week’s downgrade of Mexico’s […]

Moody’s Downgrades Pemex’s Ratings To Ba2

(Moody’s, 17.Apr.2020 — Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) downgraded Petroleos Mexicanos’ (PEMEX) senior unsecured ratings on the company’s existing notes, as well as the ratings based on PEMEX’s guarantee, to Ba2 from Baa3. Simultaneously, Moody’s withdrew PEMEX’s Baa3 issuer rating and assigned a Ba2 corporate family rating to the company. Moody’s […]

Mexico’s New Oil Regulator Says Pemex JVs Likely

(Reuters, 16.Apr.2020) — The head of Mexico’s powerful oil regulator said state oil firm Pemex could seek new joint venture partnerships soon, despite President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s decision to freeze the so-called “farm-outs” in his first year in office. “I think it will happen during this government,” Rogelio Hernandez, […]