Mexico awards deepwater blocks

Mexico has awarded eight out of ten offered contracts for exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the deeepwater offshore Mexico as part of its first bidding round. 

Sixteen international companies, grouped in ten bidders, participated in Mexico’s bidding round held on Monday. The country offered ten blocks in total located in the Perdido area and the Salina basin.

As a result of the licensing round, Mexico awarded eight blocks to six bidders made up from a total of 12 different companies.

In addition, Australian company BHP Billiton has been awarded operatorship over two blocks offshore Mexico, containing the Trion discovery, in partnership with the Mexican national oil company Pemex, beating an offer made by the oil major BP.

In the Perdido area, Chinese company CNOOC was awarded Block 1; Block 2 went to a consortium of Total & ExxonMobil; Block 3 to Chevron, Pemex & Inpex; and Block 4 also went to CNOOC.

Further, in the Salina basin, Block 5 went to Statoil, BP &Total; no bids were submitted for Block 6; Statoil, BP &Total got Block 7; Block 8 went to PC Caligari & Sierra Offshore; Block 9 to Murphy Sur, Ophir, PC Caligari & Sierra Offshore and, finally, there were no bids for Block 10.

Offshore Energy Today Staff