Natural gas extraction in the northeast falls 26%.
CE Noticias Financieras
From January to November 2022, natural gas extraction in the northeast of the Country - Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas - averaged 470.8 million cubic feet per day (mmpcd), 25.6 percent less than the same period in 2018. In the referred period of 2018, the region's share in the extraction of "dry gas" or not associated with crude oil production was 60.3 percent, but last year it was 40.4 percent. The 470.8 mmpcd mentioned "pales" in comparison to the 6.2 thousand mmpcd produced in the same period in the neighboring Eagle Ford basin, Texas, which shows the amount of resources that are not being exploited. Specialists note that the reasons for this drop range from the loss of interest of investors due to the low international prices of hydrocarbons to the administrative postures of the Government. Amado Villarreal, director of the Nuevo León Energy Cluster, said that in legal terms it is possible to explore and exploit dry gas in the country, but the energy policy has led to a drop in its activity. "The current Administration has not favored this sector for investment purposes, either from Pemex or from private parties. "The rounds that we had were stopped since the beginning of this Government, in addition to the refusals of permits by the CNH and the CRE", he pointed out. The authorities have argued that their refusals have been to protect the environment, he added, since the dry gas extractions are carried out with fracking. Deepens low... In northeastern Mexico, natural gas production not associated with crude oil production has fallen every year during the current administration. NON-ASSOCIATED NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION (Millions of cubic feet per day; first 11 months of each year) 2018 632.8 2019 620.2 2020 593.0 2021 495.8 2022 470.8 Source: Ministry of Energy