Mexican national oil company Pemex and Hokchi Energy have begun the first stage of unitization negotiations over a possible offshore shared reservoir in the southern Gulf of Mexico, Mexico’s energy ministry told Reuters Sept. 2.
The ministry said Pemex, formally known as Petroleos Mexicanos, told it in May that an exploratory well it drilled in a block where it holds development rights “infers” the possibility of a shared oil reservoir with an adjacent shallow water area belonging to Hokchi Energy.
The companies have begun talks over a confidentiality agreement that will allow both sides to share technical data, the ministry said.
Hokchi is a unit of Argentina’s Pan American Energy, which is partially owned by British oil major BP.
None of the companies involved—Pemex, Hokchi Energy, Pan American Energy or BP—
The ministry’s announcement confirms local media accounts earlier on Sept. 2 that the two sides may have a shared reservoir, which would ultimately need to be confirmed in a technical analysis by Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission, or CNH, the sector regulator.
If confirmed, it would mark the second such shared oil reservoir in Mexico, after the CNH determined earlier this year that the so-called Zama reservoir discovered by U.S.-based Talos Energy extends into Pemex's neighboring block.
Both Pemex and Talos claim a majority of the nearly 700 million barrel Zama discovery even though Pemex has yet to drill any wells in its adjacent block.
The energy ministry has given both sides until early next year to come to an initial agreement over a preliminary split of the reservoir and to decide which company operate of the potentially lucrative development.
Recommended Reading
EPA Faces Backlash for New Regulations Threatening Permian Production
2022-06-28 - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said EPA’s actions could limit Permian Basin production, which could substantially increase pump prices.
Mexican Regulator to Fine Pemex for ‘Excessive’ Gas Flaring
2022-05-25 - In first-quarter results this year, Pemex said missing infrastructure at the Ixachi Field was one of the “main reasons gas is released into the atmosphere.”
US Oil Services Firms Join Push for Revamped Venezuela License
2022-04-22 - In an effort to restart unfinished oil drilling projects in Venezuela, U.S. firms such as Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, Halliburton and Weatherford have joined the appeal in Washington to authorize drilling projects in the country.
Mexico Close to Agreement with Talos Energy on Zama Project
2022-06-03 - The handling of Zama, discovered by U.S.-based Talos and its private partners, is being closely watched by U.S. investors as a test of Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s commitment to respecting private contracts.
Oxy CEO Vicki Hollub Advocates for EOR at DC Carbon Summit
2022-06-17 - Vicki Hollub, CEO of leading EOR producer Occidental Petroleum, said the application can lead to net-neutral CO₂ oil production, which will be critical to advancing the energy transition.