Page 6 - LatAmOil Week 27 2021
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LatAmOil MEXICO LatAmOil
Talos criticises SENER’s decision to
name Pemex as the operator of Zama
US-BASED Talos Energy revealed earlier 7 as the first private operator in the country,
this week that Mexico’s Secretariat of Energy Talos drilled the exploratory well that led to
(SENER) had stripped it of its position as opera- the Zama field discovery in July 2017,” it said.
tor of Zama, a large oilfield located off the coast “Talos subsequently continued to invest in the
of Mexico’s Tabasco State. Zama appraisal – and the Mexican economy –
In a statement, Talos said it had learned of by drilling three additional wells as part of the
SENER’s decision to appoint Pemex, the national delineation of the Zama field. Talos has consist-
oil company (NOC), as the new operator of the ently demonstrated unrelenting commitment
field on July 2. The ministry informed the parties to the optimal development of the field, as the
of its decision just three days after Pemex sub- company has advanced a complete front-end
mitted a letter lobbying for the right to lead the engineering and development (FEED) study
project, it reported. and presented the National Hydrocarbons
SENER ordered the US company and its Commission (CNH) a development plan that
partners in the Zama project to strike a deal maximises oil and gas recovery and value to the
with Pemex on the unitisation of Zama with the Mexican people.”
surrounding Asab, Chamak and Naquita fields It added: “Talos has also consistently demon-
last year. It did so on the basis of studies show- strated its capabilities and qualifications to be
ing that Zama and the other sites, all of which the operator of the unit, its expertise operating
are assigned to Pemex, are part of the same in Zama’s geology and water depth and its stel-
reservoirs. lar safety and environmental track record in its
Thus far, the parties have not been able to operations in Mexico.”
reach an agreement, so under the terms of the Zama is believed to hold nearly 700mn bar-
original order, SENER has the right to make a rels of oil in recoverable reserves. Talos discov-
binding decision on the fate of the field. ered the field in 2017. At the time, it was the
Talos has consistently opposed Pemex’s call first major find made by a private or foreign oil
for unitisation, and it reiterated its objections company in Mexico since that country’s govern-
in its statement. “After six years of significant ment adopted major reforms in the oil sector,
investments in Zama and the Mexican economy, thereby ending Pemex’s 75-year-old monopoly
as well as the delivery of a Zama development on exploration.
plan that is credible and in line with the objec- The US company has been working at Zama
tives of Mexico, Talos is very disappointed with in a consortium with Wintershall Dea (Ger-
SENER’s sudden decision to award operatorship many) and Premier Oil (UK). Equity in the
to Pemex, especially in light of the timing under project is split 35% to Talos,40% to Wintershall
which the award occurred,” it remarked. and 25% to Premier, which has retained its stake
It also touted its own commitment to the in the field following its merger with Chrysaor
project, drawing attention to its extensive invest- Holdings, another British company, into a new
ment in the field. “Since being awarded Block company known as Harbour Energy.
Zama, located in the southern Gulf of Mexico offshore Tabasco, holds around 700mn barrels of oil im recoverable reserves (Image: Talos Energy)
P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 27 08•July•2021