Member Article

Enrique Peña Nieto, President-elect of Mexico, and his transition team, have stated in various forums the necessity of 

promoting a second generation energy reform (the “Reform”) that would have a direct impact on the manner in which the 

national oil industry operates, specifically “Petroleos Mexicanos” and its subsidiaries (“Pemex”). Some proposed aspects of the 

Reform have been outlined, of which the following stand out:

Encourage private sector investment in some Pemex production areas consisting of exploration, exploitation, refining, 

distribution, storage, transport, and marketing through first-hand sales. 

Promote and develop a market for shale gas as a source of energy. As of today, it has not been defined if the shale gas 

promotion is to be opened to private sector investment or continue as a strategic area under Pemex control.

Improve the productive and economic processes of Pemex following a similar model as that used by “Petroleo Brasileiro, 

S.A.” (“Petrobras”) where private investment and public investment converge, creating a state-owned company with 

mixed capital. It must be remembered that in 1997, Petrobras opened itself to private investment through the sale in that 

year of 61% of its shares.

It is extremely important for Mexico to raise the issue of energy reform at the beginning of the next presidential period, due to 

the fact that all energy projects take years to yield profits.  Therefore, if the intention lies in rethinking the way Pemex currently 

conducts business related to oil upstream, midstream, and downstream activities, it is necessary to amend not only the 

Regulatory Law to Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution regarding the Petroleum Sector, but also Articles 27 and 28 of the 

Mexico’s Federal Constitution.

Other proposals that the next government is planning to carry out are related to: (a) a reduction in electricity charges by 

eliminating regressive subsidies and improving the focus of electricity subsidies, and (ii) an increase in electricity generation 

capacity from renewable energy sources, for which the possibility of concluding agreements for economic cooperation and 

sustainable development with other countries that are advanced in the development of this type of energy, as in the case of 

Germany, has been raised.

Therefore, it is important that in the formulation of the National Energy Strategy which by law, the President is obliged to send 

to Congress in February of each year, these topics that will bring improvement to the country's energy sector are included.

With respect to the development of infrastructure projects that are planned to be carried out in the coming years, it should be

mentioned that Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza, former Secretary of Communications of the State of Mexico and current Coordinator of 

Infrastructure of the transition team of President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto, said that right now work is being done on outlining 

the new National Infrastructure Program.  Considering the commitments made in the election campaign and the pending 

projects of the present administration, this may include the following items:

RAILWAYS

Construction of the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train (first stage).

Queretaro-Mexico City fast train.

Yucatan peninsula fast train.

Expansion of four new sections (10km) of the Electric Urban Train System of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Construction of 190km of Aguascalientes-Guadalajara railway section, for large load transport.

Construction of lines 3 and 4 of Monterrey subway.

Construction of Coatzacoalcos rail bypass.

Construction of Celaya rail bypass.

PORTS

Expansion of Veracruz port.

Construction of a passenger terminal at Puerto Vallarta port to promote the arrival of cruise ships.

Modernization of Ciudad del Carmen port to receive a greater number of ships.

Modernization of Guaymas port.

Modernization of the oil terminal at Seybaplaya, Campeche port.

AIRPORTS 

Construction of an airport in the State of Hidalgo.

Construction of an airport in the Itsmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, region.

Construction of a freight airport in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Construction of an airport in Ensenada, Baja California Norte.

Modernization of Xalapa, Veracruz airport.

Modernization of Chetumal, Quintana Roo airport.

FREEWAYS

Construction: (a) Cardel-Poza Rica freeway (first stage), (b) Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco automobile bypass, (c) 

Tuxpan-Tampico freeway, (d) Oaxaca-Puerto Escondido freeway, (e) Ciudad del Carmen freeway bypass (first 

stage), (f) Ciudad Obregón bypass, and (g) Continuation of Jala-Compostela-Bahía de Banderas freeway.

Expansions: (a) to 4 lanes, Coatzacoalcos-Tuxtla Gutiérrez freeway, (b) to 8 lanes México-Toluca federal freeway 

(La Marquesa-PaseoTollocan section), (c) León-Lagos de Moreno, (d) to 6 lanes Manzanillo-Colima-Guadalajara, 

in sections Manzanillo-Colima and Colima-Tonila.

Modernization of Freeways:  (a) Tampico-Ciudad Victoria (First Stage); (b) Uruapan-Zamora (first stage), (c) 

Tepeaca- Zacatepec and Tepeaca- Tehuacán, (d) Palenque-San Cristobal de las Casas, north and south bypasses 

of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, (e) San Pedro-Cuatro Cienegas, (f) Gómez Palacio-Torreón peripheral freeway, (g) Silao-San

Felipe, (h) Pachuca-Huejutla, and (i) Villahermosa-Cárdenas.

OTHERS

Construction of a BRT articulated transport system in the city of Tijuana.

Massive transport system to the east of Mexico City.

The lawyers of the Energy, Mining and Infrastructure areas of the firm are at your service for any questions or comments on 

the above.