Letter from Mexico: Deepwater ambitions drowning in debt
Mexico must harness the vast resources in the Gulf to meet the government’s goal of energy autonomy
Deepwater Gulf of Mexico is a province retaining significant potential for oil and gas exploration wins, but Mexico’s search for these prizes has lagged significantly behind that of the US. Now, under the presidency of Andres Lopez Obrador, Mexico is seeking to recentre the oil industry as the country’s primary lever for socioeconomic development. And the country must try to capitalise on existing deepwater Gulf resources and find more to make Lopez Obrador’s dream of energy sovereignty viable. It is likely too late, though, for the basin to contribute materially to a 2024 output target of 2.6mn bl/d. Despite the current administration’s stated focus on its NOC reducing debt, Pemex remains t
Also in this section
7 January 2026
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives
7 January 2026
The global race for critical minerals has become a defining feature of energy geopolitics, presenting the ASEAN region with both opportunity and risk
7 January 2026
As global energy systems evolve to meet shifting demand and transition pressures, maintaining reliable hydrocarbon supply remains essential to energy security
6 January 2026
Cash will be needed to boost production by 30% to meet region’s rapidly rising power demand, executives told the inaugural Middle East Gas Conference in December






