Houston, July 23, 2020

Periodically, we conduct interviews with stakeholders and analysts in the oil and gas industry. The goal is to offer a platform for the sharing of experiences, insights and contrarian perspectives.

Today, owing to offshore discoveries in Mexico since the Energy Reform of 2013-14, among them the Zama prospect in July 2017, there is keen industry interest in the petroleum geology of Mexico's Southeast Basin. In the matter of the Zama prospect, interest is heightened by the current negotiations between the owners of the lease on Block 7, where the prospect was discovered, and Pemex regarding the division of equity and operatorship in a shared reservoir. Vic Abadie was a consulting geologist to Pemex in the spring and summer of 2014 in an assignment in which he was asked to review Pemex's exploration portfolio in the shallow-water Chalabil area and in the onshore Comalcalco area of the Southeast Basin.

Believing that his experience in this assignment could add value to the work of new-to-Mexico geologists, I asked Vic to provide insights that would come to be "required reading" for exploration geologists who are intrigued by Mexico's possibilities.

I also asked him to comment on the exploration culture in the Pemex workplace. One of his observations is that Pemex's earth scientists were limited by legacy data that often was less than desirable in terms of resolution. He discerns that there are discoveries that are hiding in the data, to use his words.

The interview includes Vic's comments on two discoveries: Pemex's Manik-101A and Valeriana-1, also my comments on Talos's Zama-1, based on prior conversations with industry and government sources.

Toward the end of the interview, we speak about the accomplishments and unfinished business of the Energy Reform of 2013-14.

Vic Abadie may be reached at vic@montara.com.

Contact:

George Baker
Publisher, Mexico Energy Intelligence™

Phone: (832) 434-3928 or email: info@energia.com

Website: https://www.Energia.com