Mexico urged to produce shale gas if it wants energy transition and sovereignty

According to the Mexican Energy Council (Comener), it is critical to develop unconventional fields since the production of shale gas would lessen reliance on the United States and enable the nation’s energy security, sovereignty, and self-sufficiency.

Juan Acra’s organization urged for the development of these types of deposits to boost gas production because, despite their abundance in Mexico, they have not been effectively investigated and exploited.

Although he acknowledged that the exploration and exploitation of such wells present a significant challenge because they require the use of fracking, which President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has not approved, he also made the point that legislation can be passed to lessen the practice’s environmental impact because Mexico stands to gain more economically from doing so.

Mexico’s dependence on natural gas from the United States has been growing over the last 20 years, reaching 84% of national consumption, so greater availability of gas in the country would ensure energy self-sufficiency.

The United States is developing unconventional oil and gas deposits that extend all the way to the Mexican border, particularly the successful Texas asset known as Eagle Ford.

The organization also stated that «our nation could provide continuity to a region with a high probability of success.»