The Mexican government has unveiled a plan to tap into the country’s natural gas reserves through fracking, a method slammed by environmental groups, in order to reduce its reliance on imports from the United States.
President Claudia Sheinbaum called Wednesday for developing so-called “unconventional” natural gas using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — drilling into the ground to extract oil and gas from shale rock.
The technique has drawn criticism from environmentalists over water usage and contamination risks, though the Mexican government says newer, less-polluting technologies are now available.
According to the government, 75 percent of the gas Mexico uses for electricity generation is imported, mostly from the United States, leaving the country vulnerable to supply uncertainties due to extreme weather and armed conflicts such as the ongoing US-Iran standoff.
“In the world we inhabit today, Mexico must safeguard its sovereignty, and energy sovereignty constitutes a fundamental pillar of that effort,” Sheinbaum said Thursday during her daily press conference.
Her government’s decision marks a departure from the ban on this practice that had been championed by her predecessor and fellow party member, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (2018–2024).
Mexico possesses extensive reserves of unconventional gas, located primarily in the country’s north.
State-owned oil company Pemex says these reserves hold a potential volume of 141 trillion cubic feet.
Sheinbaum sought to reassure the public that new technology will allow for cleaner extraction than traditional fracking methods.
“There are new techniques…that open up the possibility of recycling water without the use of potent chemicals,” she said.
She added that her administration has convened a panel of experts to help make a decision on the matter, while also seeking to expand energy generation through renewable sources such as solar power.
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