One Gulf: Bridging Mexico Gas Matrix

Q: In our last conversation, you highlighted the strategic alignment between Summum Projects and Gulf Companies. Looking ahead to 2026, how has this unified identity enabled you to compete for and secure larger, more integrated EPC contracts that neither organization could have pursued independently?

A: In the Mexican market, the integration with Gulf Companies has significantly strengthened our position. Today, we operate as Gulf Latin America, previously known as Summum Projects Mexico. We bring with us more than 15 years of experience as a company highly specialized in engineering services.

Historically, our engineering services were primarily focused on the public sector, particularly serving PEMEX. Most of our projects were upstream in nature, ranging from offshore platforms to onshore facilities such as separation batteries, with a smaller portion related to power generation, always centered on engineering scope.

With the backing of Gulf’s headquarters in the United States, we now have the ability to expand beyond engineering-only services and offer fully integrated EPC solutions. This includes procurement, which in many cases is financed by the EPC contractor. Today, we have the financial strength to assume that role, as well as robust construction management capabilities. This has allowed us to participate in projects that were previously beyond our reach, not only in Mexico but across Latin America.

In terms of the industries we serve, we continue to be active in our traditional sectors, namely upstream oil and gas and power generation. At the same time, we have incorporated a very strong midstream component. 

Midstream has been one of Gulf’s core strengths for more than 70 years. We are now providing services to pipeline operators and midstream infrastructure companies in Mexico, including TC Energía, ENGIE, and Esentia. These companies operate critical infrastructure for the transportation of natural gas from the United States, particularly from Texas, into Mexico. This infrastructure underpins a large portion of Mexico’s energy matrix, especially power generation based on natural gas.

This segment of the business was not accessible to Summum in the past. Today, with Gulf’s capabilities, we have been able to bid for and win projects with these operators, which clearly reflects the impact of the integration.

Q: Beyond midstream, what strategic criteria are guiding your diversification efforts, and which other sectors are you targeting?

A: Our diversification strategy is closely linked to natural gas. We are positioned next to one of the largest and most productive basins in the world, the Permian Basin in the United States. The pricing of natural gas makes it highly competitive compared to many traditional power generation alternatives. In some cases, it is even competitive with solar and wind generation.

Renewable projects will continue to move forward, largely because they align with corporate sustainability commitments and because access to financing increasingly requires a renewable component within the generation mix. We fully recognize that trend. However, we also see the continued predominance of natural gas, particularly in Mexico.

CFE remains the largest consumer of natural gas in the country, and all new natural gas infrastructure projects we are aware of are anchored by CFE. From there, opportunities open for additional industrial and commercial users to access that infrastructure.

Looking ahead, we do not foresee a significant divergence from a gas-based energy matrix in Mexico in the coming years. From a diversification standpoint, we will continue to focus strongly on natural gas. Crude oil will also remain relevant. Historically, we have worked on oil production projects, and we will continue to do so in Mexico and other parts of Latin America where these projects remain strategically important.

We believe that, in the natural development path of many emerging economies in Latin America, hydrocarbons tend to play a leading role before a broader transition toward cleaner energy sources takes place. For that reason, we expect opportunities in hydrocarbons to remain present in the region for at least the next two decades.

In parallel, the company is diversifying geographically. While our core operations remain concentrated in the United States, over the past few years we have expanded internationally. As we discussed in our first conversation, this process began with Mexico and Abu Dhabi. Since then, we have opened an additional office in Doha, Qatar, and most recently completed the acquisition of a company in the United States that specializes in engineering and operations for salt caverns used in hydrocarbon storage.

This acquisition is very recent and represents a new service offering that we also plan to introduce in Mexico. The country currently has only two to three days of natural gas storage capacity, which represents a significant vulnerability. As a result, we see a substantial opportunity to provide underground storage services in the country.

Q: The company recently rebranded from Summum Projects to Gulf Latin America. Does this change reflect a move toward an Asset Lifecycle Management model?

A: At its core, this transition is about trust. When we begin working with new clients, particularly those I mentioned earlier, many of them may not have been familiar with Summum. They may have known Gulf as a midstream service provider or EPC contractor, but not necessarily us as a local entity.

For any client, partnering with a new supplier is always a challenge. While we are supported by a large global organization, results ultimately depend on local execution. It is the local team that delivers performance.

In the initial phase, we focus on doing what any responsible service provider must do: clearly communicate our value proposition, supported by strong technical capabilities, deep local know-how, and the backing of highly experienced personnel from our Houston headquarters. To a lesser extent, we also draw on expertise from our teams in the Middle East.

This combination is what we consistently communicate to our clients. Our goal is to offer the best of both worlds: strong local execution and global technical depth.

Internally, we are also advancing a broader branding and operational initiative. We are positioning Gulf as a truly global company under what we call the One Gulf initiative. This means that regardless of whether a client engages us in Mexico, the United States, the Middle East, or elsewhere in Latin America, they will receive the same level of service, operate under the same systems, and be supported by the same quality standards and procedures.

Q: From Gulf’s perspective, there was an early intention to transfer know-how and technical capabilities to Mexico, while also recognizing the strong local legacy and expertise already in place. How has this strategy of positioning Mexico as an engineering hub evolved?

A: The concept of Mexico as an engineering hub has evolved to a certain extent. Today, we execute engineering work from Mexico for projects awarded to international clients, particularly those based in the United States, which is where most of that transferred workload originates. At present, approximately 10% of our total engineering hours are executed from Mexico.

This has become an important component of our overall operations. That said, I would not yet define Mexico as a full engineering hub in the strict sense. We operate with a high degree of independence. Our team in Mexico is actively responsible for identifying, securing, and executing its own projects, with accountability for business development and project delivery across Latin America. There is clearly a hub component, but in 2025 it was not the dominant part of our business. Our objective is to gradually increase this proportion. This is partly linked to a structural reduction in our workload related to PEMEX, which is a reality not only for us but for many companies in the sector..

As part of our strategy, we are deliberately shifting away from public-sector dependence and increasing our exposure to private projects. Engineering work coming from our Houston-based parent company will represent one portion of that transition. At the same time, our goal is to operate as a self-sustaining business unit, securing local clients in Mexico and expanding into private-sector projects across Latin America and, selectively, Europe.

Spain is a market we are actively targeting. It makes strategic sense for us as an engineering services provider. While time zone differences present some challenges, we have been able to manage them effectively by structuring overlapping work schedules with our partners in Spain.

Q: What technologies and opportunities exist to strengthen monitoring and protection of pipeline systems?

A: This is a complex and sensitive issue. From a purely technical standpoint, there are well-established technologies capable of monitoring pipeline systems with a very high level of precision. These include fiber optic sensing systems, which are increasingly installed alongside pipelines within the same trench. These systems can detect a wide range of activities, from vehicle movement along the right of way to excavation or illicit tapping attempts.

There are also more traditional monitoring technologies, such as pressure and flow monitoring. Sudden pressure drops or abnormal flow patterns can be strong indicators of unauthorized activity on a pipeline.

From a technical perspective, the tools already exist. The challenge lies in consistent implementation, proper monitoring, and effective response protocols. If these systems are not fully deployed or adequately monitored, that represents a clear opportunity for improvement.

The core issue is not technological. It is more closely tied to governance, enforcement, and broader political and institutional dynamics. Fuel theft represents a significant economic burden for the country, with losses amounting to millions of liters of hydrocarbons. These losses ultimately impact fuel prices and tax structures.

Q: What is your medium-term strategy, looking toward 2030, particularly in light of the targets set by both government and industry, as well as your more immediate objectives for 2026?

A: From a medium-term perspective, our objective is to be an active participant in what is being defined under Plan México, particularly in the areas related to energy and hydrocarbons. We are very aware that Mexico is facing a growing shortage of reliable electricity supply. This challenge spans the entire value chain, from transmission infrastructure, which is owned and operated exclusively by CFE, to generation capacity.

On the generation side, natural gas will continue to play a central role, but an even more significant development will be the implementation of what is now referred to as binding planning. This model seeks closer coordination between private generators and CFE to define how generation capacity is shared between public and private actors. We want to be closely involved with all stakeholders developing projects under this framework, from private industry participants to CFE itself, because we see substantial opportunity.

The urgency of this challenge is already visible. Recent power outages in the Yucatan Peninsula illustrate the structural issues the system is facing. These include insufficient local generation, limited transmission capacity to import power from other regions, and constraints in the supply of natural gas of adequate quality to serve new power plants in Mérida and Valladolid.

Looking ahead, these pressures will intensify as demand continues to grow. We are seeing strong electricity demand from data centers, particularly in central regions such as Queretaro, as well as from manufacturing and logistics parks that are either under development or actively seeking international tenants. For these projects, access to reliable supplies of electricity, natural gas, and water is often a decisive factor.

For the private sector, ensuring the reliability of these three inputs will be critical, and we are positioned to participate across all of them. That said, power generation stands out as a particular area of focus for us in the medium term. We are concentrating on building and maintaining the internal capabilities required to execute these projects effectively.

We already have senior experts in Mexico with decades of experience in power project development, starting from early conceptualization. This initial phase is essential to ensure regulatory compliance, including interconnection requirements with CENACE, and to confirm the economic viability of projects. At the same time, we are continuing to develop junior and technical talent so that we can cover the full project lifecycle, from conceptual design through detailed engineering and EPC execution.

In parallel, we are also pursuing geographic expansion across Latin America, leveraging this same expertise together with our midstream capabilities from the United States. Daniel Zuluaga is leading this regional expansion effort. As a result, 2026 will be a very active year for us, with extensive engagement across the region. Our goal for 2026 is to refine our regional roadmap, clearly defining the countries, partners, and clients that will be central to our strategy in the years ahead.

Gulf Latin America is the regional platform of Gulf Companies, headquartered in Mexico City. Established in 2010, the office brings more than a decade of engineering excellence and project execution experience, strengthening Gulf Companies’ global portfolio with deep regional knowledge.