Mexico's Oil Production in the Wake of the Gulf Oil Spill

Gulf Oil Spill Impacts Series

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program and the Institute of the Americas invite you to a discussion on

Mexico's Oil Production in the Wake of the Gulf Oil Spill

Welcome and Introduction:
Frank Verrastro
Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Energy &National Security Program

Keynote Speaker:
Juan Carlos Zepeda Molina
Director General, National Hydrocarbons Commission of Mexico

Commenters:
Jeremy Martin
Director, Energy Program, Institute of the Americas

Lourdes Melgar
Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center

We hope you will join us for this first in a series of discussions regarding the impacts of the Gulf oil spill. 

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill will undoubtedly impact the pace and nature of U.S. offshore oil and gas production for the foreseeable future.  The potential impacts on deepwater activities in other parts of the world are far less certain but early indications are that countries with significant offshore resources are paying close attention to developments in the Gulf.

The purpose of this session is to explore the possible impacts of the Gulf oil spill on Mexico's oil production outlook.  The recent energy reforms in Mexico and subsequent planning activities point to deepwater oil production as a major growth area for future oil supplies.  The current spill raises a number of questions that could affect these development plans including: changes to the U.S. approach on deepwater drilling activities, Mexico's regulatory and safety regime, PEMEX's ability to operate in deepwater, impact of the current spill in Mexican territory and on  perceptions of deepwater drilling, Mexico's ability to deal with a similar deepwater disaster, the future of U.S. cooperation/relations on exploration activity in border regions, and alternative production strategies and options in the absence of progress on deepwater drilling.