Baker Institute researchers conclude Mexico could become oil importer by 2020 without new investment

CONTACT: Franz Brotzen
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EMAIL: franz.brotzen@rice.edu

Baker Institute researchers conclude Mexico could become oil importer by 2020 without new investment

Without sufficient investments in upstream oil field activities utilizing new and advanced technologies, Mexico faces the prospect of becoming a net oil importer in 10 years, according to new research by Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and Oxford University. The stakes of the current political stalemate over oil are quite high, the study concluded. Were Pemex, Mexico’s national oil company, able to fully develop its oil in line with international standards and technology, Mexican citizens could earn $1,055 per capita per year by 2020, versus $546 if current trends continue.

The two-year study will be released April 29 at a roundtable in Mexico City, co-hosted by Mexican Council on Foreign Relations. The study consists of 14 specialized academic papers authored by scholars from Oxford University, Rice University, Centro de Investigaci