Piedras Negras, Coahuila on the U.S.-Mexico border focal point of Mexico’s Eagle Ford Shale future oil and gas exploration
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
Although besieged by the second largest prison escape in Mexico, 132 prisoners, on September 17, 2012, and subsequent intense and fierce gun battles between local, state, and federal police forces, the Mexican military forces, and the elite Mexican Navy Marines special forces against armed civilian groups within Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico and the northern region of the State of Coahuila known as the “Cinco Manantiales” (Five Springs), the fortunes of this besieged city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, opposite of Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas, is destined to change in the immediate foreseeable future as Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the Mexican government-owned oil and gas company, the Mexican Institute of Petroleum, the State of Coahuila, the Mexican Secretariat of Energy, and the Mexican Exploration Company announced on March 20, 2013 at a press conference in Mexico City, Mexico that as a result of the discovery of large hydrocarbon fuel deposits, principally oil and gas, along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Piedras Negras and Guerrero, Coahuila region and the State of Veracruz a $200 million oil and gas exploration and development project will commence immediately to tap into these large oil and gas deposits to increase Mexico’s production and reserves of these valuable fuels.
PEMEX General Director Emilio Lozoya Austin stated that the potential reserves of these new oil and gas reserves in the Piedras Negras to Guerrero, Coahuila and the State of Veracruz may be 60 billion barrels, possibly becoming the fourth largest reserve of fuels in the world.
State of Coahuila Governor Ruben Moreira stated that Coahuila is world-famous for having 95% of the coal reserves in Mexico and now has the potential to become one of the leading oil and gas producers in Mexico as well as in the world. Governor Moreira stated that the people of the State of Coahuila need to prepare themselves for the increased oil and gas exploration and drilling that is forthcoming this year as well as the economic development opportunities to be generated within the State of Coahuila.
American and foreign-owned oil and gas companies are currently exploring and drilling in the Eagle Ford Shale and other shales in Texas, particularly along the Texas-Mexico border in southwest Texas including Maverick, Dimmit, Zavala, Webb, La Salle, and Zapata counties. The Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom has generated an extraordinary economic development in South Texas much to the delight of the Texas State Comptroller and State Legislators.
American and foreign-owned oil and gas companies have known of the large reserves available immediately on the Mexican-side of the Texas-Mexico border for several years now but since all oil and gas exploration and development is owned by the Mexican government-owned PEMEX they have been unable to penetrate that region and market. American and foreign-owned companies are offering their financial and technological assistance to the Mexican government in exchange for a piece of the huge oil and gas reserves along the Rio Grande River on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Eagle Pass, Texas Mayor Ramsey English Cantu and city officials attended last week the Eagle Ford Consortium annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, sponsored by the Middle Rio Grande Development Council Foundation, to learn and understand more about the economic development opportunities available from the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom. With the exploration and development of oil and gas in its sister-city, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, and region, Eagle Pass will play an important role in Mexico’s development of northern Coahuila’s oil and gas reserves as the preferred international port of entry between the U.S. and Mexico due to its strategic geographic location to the Piedras Negras and Guerrero, Coahuila oil and gas reserves.
Both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila are currently celebrating their annual International Friendship Festival commemorating their close historic cultural, social, and economic ties between the twin sister cities. On Friday, March 22, 2013, city, county, state, and federal officials from both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Texas and Coahuila, and U.S.-Mexico celebrated their traditional “Abrazo de Amistad” (Friendship Hug) Ceremony at the Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras International Bridge No. 1 honoring their longstanding sister-cities’ friendship and cooperation.
This announcement by Mexican officials will definitely bring economic benefits to Eagle Pass and Maverick County, Texas, which is the tenth poorest county in the United States and first in the State of Texas.
San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro will be visiting Eagle Pass on Saturday, March 30th, to present a keynote speech at the 19th Annual Eagle Pass Business Journal Awards with an expected message on increasing social, cultural, and economic relations between the historic international border cities and the Alamo City. Mayor Castro has championed public and private partnerships to improve the social and economic well-being of Texans and has led San Antonio into becoming the regional headquarters of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom in South Texas.
