SENER Grants 10 Mixed-Contract Areas to PEMEX

SENER has officially awarded PEMEX the first 10 area assignments under its mixed contract scheme for exploration and production, marking a significant shift in the federal government’s energy strategy. These contracts are designed to involve private sector partners while ensuring PEMEX retains at least 40% participation in each project.

The 10 areas include six onshore fields: Tamaulipas Constituciones in Tamaulipas; Sini-Caparroso, Macavil and Tupilco Terciario in Tabasco; Agua Fría in Puebla; and Cuervito Fronterizo in Nuevo Leon. Three more are in shallow waters: Tlatitok, Macuil-Paki, and Kayab-P-Utsilt. Only one is in deep water: the field Nobilis-Maximino.

PEMEX expects these 10 contracts to add approximately 69.4Mb/d of crude oil and about 609.5MMcf/d of natural gas. This output would represent around 4.2% of PEMEX’s current crude production. The private sector involvement also brings expected investment via signing bonuses totaling some US$8.06 billion.

Fields like Ixachi in Veracruz stand out for their potential; the Ixachi contract alone is estimated to require a signing bonus of US$5 billion, with other fields such as Bakte expected to bring in sizable production increases once operations begin.

These mixed contracts are part of PEMEX’s broader 2025-2035 Strategic Plan, intended to reverse production decline, increase reserves, modernize refining operations, and integrate cleaner technologies. SENER emphasized that these contracts will help maintain state control while leveraging private capital and technical expertise.

While the policy is seen by many industry watchers as a critical step toward revitalizing Mexico’s energy sector, some analysts warn that PEMEX’s heavy existing obligations to contractors and its financial condition may hamper rapid deployment and operational performance in highly complex fields.