Environmental Groups Raise Alarm Over PEMEX-Petrobras MoU

Civil society organizations have criticized the PEMEX–Petrobras memorandum to expand deepwater hydrocarbon exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, arguing it conflicts with Mexico’s international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, the UN 2030 Agenda, and the 30x30 biodiversity framework. The proposal raises regulatory and environmental risk considerations for Mexico’s offshore oil sector, particularly in terms of marine ecosystem protection, coastal economies, and exposure to high-impact operational failures. The development is relevant for Mexico’s energy, oil and gas, and environmental policy landscape, affecting PEMEX, Petrobras, regulators, and coastal stakeholders.

Civil society organizations warned that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between PEMEX and Petrobras to strengthen hydrocarbon exploration and production in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico poses a environmental and social risk for the country.

In a joint statement, organizations including the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), Greenpeace Mexico, Oceana, Conexiones Climáticas, Engenera, and Nuestro Futuro stressed that committing to deepwater projects entails serious risks for the Gulf of Mexico, while prolonging an energy model that is incompatible with the international climate policy commitments adopted by Mexico.

Among these international commitments is the Paris Agreement, under which Mexico pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030. In addition, the United Nations' 2030 Agenda establishes goals related to climate action (SDG 13) and the conservation of marine ecosystems (SDG 14). Furthermore, in 2022, Mexico joined the global 30x30 target, adopted during the COP15 biodiversity summit, which seeks to protect at least 30% of the planet's terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

Expanding deepwater exploration is incompatible with these commitments, as it promotes the development of new fossil fuel reserves in one of the country's most biodiverse and vulnerable marine regions. The Gulf of Mexico is home to more than 15,000 marine species, including sea turtles, sperm whales, and sharks, and supports important fisheries that provide jobs and income for coastal communities. It also plays a fundamental role in climate regulation and in protecting coastlines from storms and hurricanes.

"Oil activity in deep and ultra-deep waters is highly risky. Operations are carried out thousands of meters below the sea surface, where any failure can turn into a large-scale environmental disaster, with consequences that may last for decades," the statement reads.

The organizations questioned why, instead of promoting an energy transition based on renewable sources, the federal government is choosing to deepen the country's dependence on fossil fuels, which, they argued, accelerate the climate crisis, damage the environment, and threaten the lives of those living in the region. Energy policy decisions, they emphasized, must fully incorporate environmental, social, and climate-related costs to prevent the Gulf of Mexico from continuing to be treated as a sacrifice zone.

Mexico has substantial potential to expand renewable energy. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the country has one of the world's greatest solar energy potentials, with average solar irradiation levels exceeding 5kWh/m2 per day across much of its territory. In addition, regions such as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec possess some of the best wind resources in Latin America, with wind speeds surpassing 8m/s.

Despite this potential, solar and wind power still account for only a limited share of Mexico's energy mix, highlighting a missed opportunity to promote a cleaner and more resilient energy system, in line with the arguments put forward by the organizations.

High Costs and Long Timelines Cloud Deepwater Expansion 

In addition to environmental risks, experts underscored that these exploration projects require multi-billion-dollar investments and lengthy development periods before they can begin producing oil. As an example, they cited the Trion project, considered Mexico's first major deepwater development, which is expected to begin production in 2028. "Presenting these types of projects as a solution to the country's energy challenges is questionable when their benefits will take years to materialize, while their impacts are already being felt," they noted.

This aligns with views expressed by other experts in the sector. Gonzalo Monroy, CEO, Energy Consultancy GMEC, said that the MoU will not deliver short-term benefits for the country. "Even if the agreement were implemented, and drilling started tomorrow and proved successful, it would still take between 10 and 12 years to bring production online. We are talking about the remainder of this administration and the entirety of the next one; production would realistically be seen around 2040," he said during an interview with Ivonne Melgar on Primera Emisión.

Environmental Damage Raises Fresh Concerns 

The Gulf of Mexico has already experienced the impacts of the oil industry in the past, including spills, pollution, habitat destruction, and damage to fisheries and coastal communities. The most recent incident, which occurred in February, was described as catastrophic according to citizen monitoring data from the Coral Reef Corridor, where 113 affected sites were recorded along 1,168kmof coastline, stretching from Paraíso, Tabasco, to Matamoros, Tamaulipas.

"This event, which was concealed and downplayed by environmental and government authorities, affected both ecosystem health and the livelihoods of hundreds of communities. It is precisely the kind of risk that would increase with the expansion of oil exploration activities between Petrobras and Pemex," the organizations stated.

Finally, the signatory NGOs reiterated that the only way to prevent further accidents linked to the oil industry is to commit to a genuine energy transition that is both socially and environmentally just. "We call on the Mexican government to halt the expansion of deepwater oil activities and protect the sanctuaries of life that exist in the Gulf of Mexico," the document concludes.