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Mexico’s government will not allow unconventional drilling in a key shale basin, as officials cautiously explore the politically sensitive practice as a way to reduce dependence on US natural gas.
The ban on hydraulic fracturing — a form of unconventional drilling better known as fracking — applies to the Tampico-Misantla basin, a resource-rich shale formation that lies under the eastern states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision Thursday during her daily press conference, citing the basin’s location under a densely populated area with a high concentration of indigenous communities and ample fresh water reserves.
Sheinbaum had commissioned a panel of experts to analyze the feasibility of fracking Mexico’s shale plays with an eye toward reducing the country’s heavy reliance on US gas.
Mexico imports more than 6.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day — or around 75% of daily demand — through a series of pipelines from US shale deposits across the border.
The commission recommended increasing conventional gas extraction, but clarified that this alone would not significantly dent the need for US supply, panel members said.
“With all the measures being proposed, we would go from 75% to 50% dependence on US gas, and if we want to reduce that 50% figure, we need to consider unconventional gas extraction in a responsible manner,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico’s fracking commission will continue evaluating where the practice can be used, and recommended Mexico only pursue the practice in basins containing salt water, the commission said.
Read More: Mexico Reluctantly Turns to Fracking to Ease Reliance on US Gas
Before taking office in 2024, Sheinbaum had been an outspoken critic of fracking, citing environmental and social impacts. She has since softened that stance as Mexico seeks to wean itself off of US gas and rescue state-owned oil company Pemex from massive debts and slumping production.
Mexico has an estimated 141.5 trillion cubic feet of unconventional reserves in shale basins, mostly located in the northern part of the country, according to the commission.
— With assistance from Alex Vasquez
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