Oil Cooperation Agreement between Mexico and the United States along the Gulf of Mexico Border [1]
The United States and Mexico recently reached an agreement pertaining to the regulation of oil and gas regulations along the two countries shared Gulf of Mexico border. If this Transboundary Agreement is put into law, the United States and Mexico would have respective rights to supervise oil and gas activities that could affect the environment. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar explained the newly formulated agreement between the two countries, “Each of the nations will maintain sovereignty and their own regulatory systems.” He went on to state, “But what this signifies, and what may be the most significant part of the agreement, is that we’re moving forward jointly with Mexico to ensure we have a common set of safety protocols.” The agreement would also permit the Mexican oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), as well as leading oil companies in the United States, to develop oil reservoirs in cooperation with one another along the shared Gulf of Mexico border. [2]
It’s important for the United States oil companies and Mexico’s Petróleos Mexicanos [3], to work together now more than ever to ensure joint environmental safety attributed to deepwater oil drilling on the Gulf of Mexico border. In addition, the agreement will allow 1.5 million acres of territory previously claimed by the United States to be available for lease starting this summer. A research fellow at the University of Texas, Jorge Piñon commented on the relationship between the United States and Mexico, “Coordination and sharing communications, training, personnel, equipment and technology are essential for safe and productive drilling.” This diplomatic allocation of resources and commitment to cooperation is instrumental to developing safe and environmentally friendly drilling practices along the border.