Mexican Petroleums (Pemex)
has discovered 20 new oil fields (16 marine fields in shallow waters of the Mexican Gulf and four on land) with a net proved reserve (1P) of 400 million crude oil barrels and a proven and probable reserve (2P) of 1.1 billion crude oil barrels at an average depth of 34.9 meters .
According to the oil project of Mexico’s new government, the exploratory strategy of Pemex’s Exploration and Production branch , led by Miguel Ángel Lozada Aguilar , who resumed a part of the research conducted by the previous administration, could facilitate the exploitation of said oil fields by March or April 2020 , with a volume equivalent to 157 thousand oil barrels a day and 349 million cubic feet of natural gas .
By said year, Pemex could reach a crude oil production platform of 2 million barrels a day .
According to their research, the development of the National Refining System will require an additional crude oil volume of 600 thousand barrels a day , for which there will be a peaking demand in 2021 . This begs the need for the development of the new oil fields.
“The new oil fields are mostly producers of light crude of 33 degrees API ,” the report added.
The state-owned oil company has even outlined a strategy focused on the accelerated development of the fields that were discovered: Xikin and Esah , which were transitioning to the production stage; Mulach, Manik, Uchbal, Pokche, Cheek, Tlacame, Cahua, Jaatsul, Octli, Tetl, Teekit, Hok, Suuk, Koban, Chocol, Valeriana, Cibix, and Ixachi .
For the drilling of all 117 wells that these new fields will require, Pemex will form five different groups hired according to the authorization date given for their development, approved by the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) . There will be four marine oil wells and one on land, which will be able to work simultaneously.
The first group will encompass the drilling of 16 wells (seven in Xikin, six in Esah, and three in Uchbal) and will begin development on January 15, 2019 through three contracts; the second group will start operating on February 15 with the drilling of 22 wells (four in Pokche, three in Cheek, six in Mulach, five in Manik, and four in Tlacame) through three contracts, while the third group will start drilling 24 wells on March 11 (three in Cahua, four in Jaatsul, four in Octli, four in Tetl, three in Teekit, and six in Hok) through three contracts open for bids.
The fourth group will begin operations on April 24, drilling 11 wells (six in Suuk and five in Koban) through two contracts; and finally, the fifth group will begin drilling 44 wells on January 15 (two in Chocol, four in Valeriana, four in Cibix, and 34 in Ixachi) through three contracts.
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