Heavyweights lift Mexico's second oil round

Drilling boom offers bright spot in otherwise bleak global oil exploration outlook

After getting off to a rocky start, Mexico's oil opening is gathering momentum. This week's shallow-water acreage offering, the latest in a series of oil tenders started in 2015, was a resounding success. Ten of 15 blocks put up for tender were awarded, drawing winning bids from a healthy mix of international majors, local independents and national oil companies. Two years of oil auctions have now set the stage for an exploration drilling boom in Mexico that should bring billions of dollars of investment and, eventually, lift sagging output. It offers a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak landscape for global oil exploration. Eni was the round's biggest winner, snapping up three of the bl