Deepwater Wells, and Drilling Permits in Mexico

The recently implemented Energy Reform has triggered the incursion of new players into the Mexican oil industry, arousing high interest from National and International Operators to participate in the bidding processes that the Government of Mexico has initiated through the National Hydrocarbons Commission. The experience in the regulation of drilling in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters has evolved until now having guidelines that give certainty and safety to the operation, considering a hybrid philosophy that establishes an intermediate point between the highly prescriptive regulation and the one considered goal setting, taking advantage of the experiences of Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Brazil mainly, shortening the learning curve of international regulatory entities. This paper shows the key elements for the issuance of authorizations for the drilling of wells and among them those of Deep and Ultra Deep-Waters, which represent greater difficulty, cost and technological complexity.