Mexican revival

Reinvigorated following recent energy reforms, Mexico’s oil and gas industry will be on full display at the Petroleum Exhibition & Conference of Mexico (PECOM) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, this March.

A capacity crowd listens to Pemex E&P’s José Antonio Escalera Alcocer in 2016.  OE Staff Photo.

Mexico is beginning to see progress following the painful rebirthing process its energy sector has undergone, opening to foreign investment for the first time in over seven decades.

In 2016, Mexico scored many milestones, including its first deepwater round – where 8 of 10 lease areas were awarded; its first-ever farm-out for the state-owned oil company Pemex – which was awarded to BHP Billiton for the Trion field; and, finally, Eni was approved to drill its Amoca 2 prospect, which it was awarded in Round 1.2 in September 2015. And of course, more good news is on the way, with Pemex pledging a more aggressive farm-out plan as part of its 2017-2021 business plan.

There’s no doubt that 2017 will be a year of continued interest and success in Mexico. With that in mind, the 23rd annual Petroleum Exhibition & Conference of Mexico (PECOM) returns to Villahermosa with a who’s who of Mexico’s government and oil and gas industry leaders, who will be on hand to start discussions on the current and future potential of Mexico’s oil and gas industry.

Attendees will be able to hear from experts in the Mexican energy community, including Mexico’s Agency for Safety, Energy, and Environment (ASEA), National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) Center for Control of Natural Gas (CENAGAS), and the Mexican Petroleum Institute (IMP).

Several high-profile executives and industry leaders will serve as keynote speakers at PECOM 2017, including: Guillermo García Alcocer, President of the Energy Regulatory Commission; Federal Deputy Georgina Trujillo Zentella, President of the Energy Commission of the LXIII Legislature; Oscar Roldán Flores, Head of the National Data Center for CNH; Aldo Flores Quiroga, Deputy Secretary of Energy for Hydrocarbons; David Madero Suárez, General Director for the National Center for Control of Natural Gas (CENAGAS); Ricardo Fitz Mendoza, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, State of Tabasco; David Gustavo Rodríguez Rosario, Secretary of Economic Development and Tourism for the State of Tabasco; and Ernesto Rios Patron, Director General of IMP.

PECOM 2017’s agenda also features updates on the country’s energy reforms; new production and subsea technologies; case studies; geophysical challenges and opportunities; shallow and deepwater developments; drilling and completions; and subsea market trends and strategies.

Post-energy reform, Mexico’s future burns bright, with the country’s Round 2 just on the horizon. Round 2.1, now to be held in June 2017, follows Mexico’s highly successful deepwater round, Round 1.4, which was held in December 2016. Round 2.1 will auction 15 shallow water areas in the Gulf of Mexico, in Tampico-Misantla, Veracruz and Cuencas del Sureste.

For more information on this year’s conference and exhibition, please visit pecomexpo.com.