Mexico City- Mexico is a country with a high demand for natural gas, so it should increase investments, exploitation and infrastructure, said Héctor Moreira, commissioner of the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH).
This in order to reduce its dependence on foreigners and increase its production.
“One of the needs of this country is to increase gas production; we cannot depend on the United States, especially in a world situation where the price of gas has gone up due to the problem in Ukraine.
“Fortunately, Mexico has enormous gas reserves, (…) although that does not mean that we are producing it,” said the expert.
He pointed out that, in turn, the country is importing very large quantities due to the industrial development that we are experiencing.
“So we need more investment and more production of both oil, but mainly gas,” he added.
Natural gas production in Mexico is around 4.7 billion cubic feet per day.
Of that amount, 62 percent is sent to gas processing centers and 20 percent is recirculated and for Pemex’s own use.
Another 16 percent is condensed and only 2 percent is dry gas that can be used in industry or power generation.
Meanwhile, natural gas imports, which come mainly from the United States, amount to 5.4 billion cubic feet per day.
Natural gas reserves and resources in Mexico are more than 224 trillion cubic feet.
An example of the importance of natural gas for the nation is that Mexico is mainly a manufacturing country, so in order to continue with its development it is essential to have a solid natural gas industry for supply, assured the current CNH commissioner.
He even said that the petrochemical industry “has a nomenclature error” because 86 percent of chemical products are derived from natural gas and not oil.
“It should be called the gas-chemical chain in any case, 86 percent of the entire petrochemical industry originates from natural gas.
“And what comes out of there? Well, from methane derivatives, fertilizers, resins; then comes ethane, propane, so without natural gas there is no petrochemical industry,” he said.
The expert from the National Hydrocarbons Commission pointed out that oil also contributes to the petrochemical industry, but it is only 14 percent.
