Three years ago, Mexico opened its energy sector to private investments in a landmark energy reform that ended more than seven decades of monopoly of its state firm, Pemex. Now Mexico has begun liberalizing gasoline prices as well. After an initially slow start to attracting foreign investment, Mexico’s offshore oil auctions have recently started paying off, after an alliance (including foreign firms) announced a “world class discovery” estimated to hold more than 1 billion barrels of oil in place—one of the major global discoveries in the past five years. In addition, supermajors Exxon, Chevron, and BP are opening or plan to open their first service stations to tap into the Mexican refined products market. Shell is the latest of Big Oil that entered the retail market, pledging US$1 billion in investment over the next 10 years. Things are currently looking up for foreign investments in Mexico’s energy sector, but […]