Petroleum industry in Mexico

Mexico is the seventh-largest producer of petroleum worldwide and the tenth largest oil - exporting nation (2008). After the U.S., Mexico is ranked in the Western Hemisphere ranked 2nd, just ahead of Canada. However, Mexico is not a member of the international petroleum organizations such as OPEC.

The petroleum sector plays a central role in the Mexican economy. The revenues from oil exports amount to 15 % of Mexico's export earnings, although the proportion is declining. The revenue from the petroleum business ( including taxes and direct payments from the state oil company PEMEX ) represent about 40 % of government revenues.

History

The first drilling for oil have already been conducted in 1869, but first oil discoveries and the beginning of the Mexican oil production dating to 1901. Both oil fields Panuco - Ebano and Faja de Oro at Tuxpan were opened until 1910. From 1911 oil was exported from Mexico.

Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 granted by the Mexican government all rights to the underground oil deposits. This led to conflict between the Mexican government and foreign, particularly U.S. oil company well into the thirties. President Plutarco Elias Calles in 1925 issued a decree according to which foreign oil companies to register their claims had and the concessions were limited to 50 years.

In the twenties of the twentieth century, Mexico was by the USA, the second largest oil producer and the world's largest oil exporter. As a consequence of the global economic crisis, the lack of new oil discoveries, political instability and Venezuela's rise as more attractive oil producer, production decreased in the early thirties up to 20 % of the value of 1921. Production rose again when, in 1932, the oil field Poza Rica near was found in Veracruz. This field was Mexico's main feed area in the following decades.

Oil production

1935 were all foreign oil companies in Mexico origin. The working conditions for the workers were poor since the establishment of trade unions was prevented by legal and illegal measures. Despite opposition in 1936, the Association of Mexican Workers (Spanish: Confederación de Trabajadores de México, CTM ) founded and pursued the project of a general employment contract for the individual oil companies. A strike was planned to give the desire emphasis, but a court has been switched on. On December 18, the arbitration court ruled in favor of the union and the workers spoke 26 million pesos for lost wages during the strike to.

Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas del Río nationalized the oil industry on March 18, 1938 and monopolized the exploration, production, refining and trade in crude oil and natural gas as well as in the manufacture and sale of petrochemical feedstocks.

Between 1938 and 1971, Mexico's oil production grew by 6% per year. 1957 Mexico became a net importer, since domestic demand exceeded domestic production. Later, the production increased to 1971 by the exploration of new oil fields and gas fields near the northeastern border city of Reynosa, but the gap between domestic demand and production grew.

After the nationalization

1973, the peak of the Mexican oil production was exceeded from the early twenties with production of 190 million barrels in 1974 informed the Mexican state oil company PEMEX on oil discoveries in the states of Veracruz, Baja California, Chiapas, and Tabasco.

In 1976, the proven oil reserves of Mexico were estimated by President José López Portillo to 11 billion barrels. 1983, this figure rose to 72.5 billion barrels. Portillo then decided to increase Mexico's oil production and to exploit the oil reserves as a guarantee for international loans that were intended mainly for PEMEX. Between 1977 and 1980, PEMEX received 12.6 billion U.S. $ in international loans, which accounted for 37% of Mexico's foreign debt. The loan funds were used to build offshore oil platforms and operate. PEMEX also grew with the construction of onshore processing plants, through the expansion of refineries and generally through the expansion and modernization of production capacities. These investments have led to an increase in oil production of 400 million barrels in 1977 to 1.1 billion barrels in 1982., 2007, daily oil export volume had increased to 1.756 million barrels.

Oil production

Mexico produces three types of crude oil: heavy Maja -22 ( more than 50 % of total production ), light Isthmus -34 with low sulfur content (28 % of production) and extreme light Olmeca -39 (20 % of production). Mexico has 30.8 billion barrels, the second largest proven oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere ( 2002). In the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela has only increased proven oil reserves, Mexico is the ninth worldwide.

Cantarell has long been the largest oil field in Mexico and one of the largest active oil fields worldwide. However, the highlight of the promotion was achieved with 2.1 million barrels a day in 2003 and declined until November 2010 dramatically to only 464,000 barrels. Several oil fields were discovered in Chicontec Basin, which contain predominantly heavy crude oil. The development of these fields is currently running.

In 2002, the Ku- Maloop - Zaap oil field was discovered original estimates assumed a maximum capacity of 800,000 barrels from, however, the field produced in August 2010 already 832,000 barrels since 2009 and is thus the most prolific Mexican oil field. Nevertheless, the field could not fully offset the unexpectedly sharp decline in production from the Cantarell oil field, so the Mexican oil production decreases permanently since 2004. PEMEX predicted for the year 2011, however, the first time a moderate increase in funding by investing in Chicontec Basin.

Further reading

• Energy: Mexico Joins Oil 's Big Leagues. In: Time Magazine. 25. December 1978.