Local juniors play starring role in Mexico onshore auction

Mexican junior oil companies were awarded 20 of the 25 onshore oil and gas fields offered in the third auction of the country's Round One on Tuesday.

The onshore call was designed to promote the participation of local firms, some of which have been engaged in the industry for decades as suppliers to state oil company Pemex, while others are startups created in the wake of the energy reform.

A total of 42 domestic and foreign companies participated in bidding for the blocks, located in the states of Chiapas, Nuevo León, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Veracruz (see map), with blocks also awarded to Mexican-Dutch and Mexican-US consortiums, and a Canadian company.

The auctioned areas comprise 17 oil fields and eight gas fields across three geographic areas, divided up as Burgos, the gas field covering an area of around 110,000km2, and the North and South oil fields.

The fields auctioned will bring peak crude oil production of 77,000b/d and investment of around US$1.1bn, according to the energy ministry (Sener).

A Mexican consortium comprising the firms Geo Estratos and MX Oil Exploración y Producción was awarded four blocks: Pontón, Tecolutla, La Laja and Paso de Oro.

Canadian firm Renaissance Oil was awarded three blocks, Mundo Nuevo, Topén and Malva, while Mexico's Strata Campos Maduros was also awarded three: Ricos, Carretas and Peña Blanca.

Mexican firm Compañía Petrolera Perseus secured the Fortuna Nacional and Tajón areas, while Mexico's Diavaz Offshore, part of Grupo Diavaz, was awarded the Catedral and Barcodón blocks.

Diavaz formed a JV in 2014, called DOT Shipping, with Norway's Oceanteam Shipping.

Consorcio Manufacturero Mexicano was also awarded two contractual areas, Mareógrafo and Calibrador, while the San Bernardo field was awarded to Mexican company Sarreal.

The Cuichapa Poniente block was awarded to Servicios de Extraccuón Petrolera Lifting de México, while the consortium formed by Canamex Dutch, Perfolat de México and American Oil Tools secured the Moloacán block.

Mexico's Grupo Diarqco was awarded the Mayacaste and Calicanto blocks, while local firm Construcciones y Servicios Industriales Globales was awarded the Duna field, and a Mexican consortium comprising Grupo R Exploración y Producción and Constructora y Arrendadora México won the Secadero field.

A Mexican consortium made up of Sistemas Integrales de Compresión, Nuvoil and Constructora Marusa was awarded the Benavides-Primavera field, while a US-Mexican consortium formed by Roma Energy Holdings, Tubular Technology and GX Geoscience Corporation successfully bid for the Paraíso block.