Pemex scales back upstream goals

The strained producer downgrades its 2021 forecast as rapid economic recovery looks doubtful

Mexican state-owned oil firm Pemex has been forced to revise down its crude upstream target for 2021. The producer cut c.170,000bl/d from an earlier projection of 2.03mn bl/d after the government reforecast its near-term oil price. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Pemex had predicted an average price for a Mexican crude oil mix of $49/bl for 2020. But as global energy demand reeled, the realised price slumped to just above $31.80/bl over the first six months of the year. And the government predicts only a slow recovery in prices next year. The finance ministry expects oil to rebound to an average of just $42.10/bl for 2021. “Due to low expected oil prices during 2021, Pemex has decided to focus