Hydrocarbons Sector Development Plan: a new roadmap for the Mexican energy sector

On September 7, 2026, the Ministry of Energy (“SENER”), published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (“DOF”) the Agreement by which SENER issues the Hydrocarbons Sector Development Plan (the “PLADESHi“”), an instrument that establishes the roadmap for the development and modernization of the hydrocarbons sector in Mexico for the period 2025-2039.

Its publication constitutes one of the main instruments for implementing the new energy policy derived from the 2025 reform. Unlike a merely indicative document, the Energy Planning and Transition Law recognizes PLADESHi as the guiding and binding instrument for the development and modernization of the hydrocarbon sector's infrastructure, so its content acquires special relevance for regulatory, investment and project development decisions.

The PLADESHi is based on a policy aimed at strengthening energy security and sovereignty, increasing national production, modernizing existing infrastructure, and reducing dependence on imports. At the same time, it recognizes the need to maintain private participation, particularly through partnership schemes with Petróleos Mexicanos (“PEMEX”), as well as in the development of infrastructure and projects related to the transport, storage, processing and supply of hydrocarbons.

In this sense, PLADESHi should be analyzed as part of a broader planning framework, integrated, among others, by the National Development Plan 2025-2030, the Sectoral Energy Program 2025-2030, the Mexico Plan, the PEMEX Strategic Plan 2025-2035 and the SISTRANGAS Five-Year Expansion Plan 2025-2029.

Main elements of PLADESHi

The PLADESHi identifies 183 protected areas that are not assigned to PEMEX, contractors or private entities, with prospective resources estimated at 60.6 billion barrels of crude oil equivalent, of which 23.7 correspond to conventional deposits and 36.9 to non-conventional. These areas represent potential for future exploration and evaluation activities and, where appropriate, for the incorporation of new reserves.

Likewise, PLADESHi contemplates the approximate incorporation of 7,292 billion barrels of crude oil equivalent in 3P reserves between 2026 and 2039Initially, exploration activity will be concentrated mainly in the Southeast and Veracruz Basins, while in the next decade, a greater importance of deep-water projects is expected.

In terms of production, the plan aims to maintain a national production of approximately 1.8 million barrels per day of liquid hydrocarbons and achieve a production of up to 5,000 billion cubic feet per day (MMpcd) natural gasTo this end, both the development of new fields and the use and modernization of existing infrastructure are being considered.

Among the production projects that acquire special relevance are: Zama and Trionwhose incorporation is planned for 2027 and 2028, respectively. According to government planning, both projects together could represent up to approximately 10% of the production needed to reach the national target of 1.8 million barrels per day. In the case of natural gas, the following stand out: Ixachi, which is projected to reach its peak production in 2027 and Lakach in deep waters, with an estimated production of approximately 200 MMpcd.

One particularly relevant element for private investment is the incorporation of the mixed development schemesthrough which private individuals can participate with PEMEX in exploration and extraction projects. PLADESHi identifies 21 mixed development projects, in addition to the previously existing contractual schemes.

Natural gas as a strategic axis

Natural gas occupies a particularly relevant position within PLADESHi, both for its importance to industry and for its direct link with electricity generation and the development of new industrial centers.

The strategy seeks to act simultaneously on three fronts: (i) increase national production, (ii) expand and modernize processing capacity and (iii) strengthen transport and storage infrastructure.

In terms of processing, PLADESHi plans to expand the capacity of the Matapionche Gas Processing Complex to take advantage of the production from Ixachi, as well as carry out optimization work in the Cactus, La Venta and Nuevo Pemex complexes.

Transportation infrastructure also acquires strategic importance. PLADESHi incorporates projects from the Five-Year Expansion Plan for the Integrated National Natural Gas Transportation and Storage System 2025-2029 (the “SISTRANGAS”), in addition to infrastructure developed by the Federal Electricity Commission (the “CFE”), PEMEX and the National Natural Gas Control Center (the “CENAGAS

Main natural gas infrastructure projects:

Additionally, PLADESHi incorporates a line of action that could become particularly important in the coming years: the development of strategic natural gas storage. This strategy aims to establish the necessary technical, economic, and regulatory conditions to create strategic and operational inventories managed by the State, which could generate new infrastructure needs and opportunities for private sector participation.

Industrial infrastructure, refining and petrochemicals

The PLADESHi plan is not limited to exploration and production. It also includes the modernization of the infrastructure of the National Refining System, gas processing complexes, and petrochemical complexes.

In logistics, PEMEX is considering projects to optimize the transportation and storage of petroleum products, gas, and petrochemicals, along with maintenance and rehabilitation programs for oil pipelines, multi-product pipelines, terminals, and docks. For the private sector, this portfolio could translate into opportunities for specialized services, equipment supply, maintenance, rehabilitation, and engineering related to this infrastructure.

Among the projects under evaluation, the possibility of generating natural gas transport capacity towards the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz stands out, through the conversion and change of use of existing infrastructure, with the purpose of supplying the development poles of the Interoceanic Corridor.

This strategy demonstrates an increasingly close relationship between energy planning and industrial policy; hydrocarbon infrastructure is also beginning to be structured around development hubs, industrial corridors, and new productive investments.

Sustainability and energy transition

Another relevant element is that the policy of strengthening hydrocarbons coexists with energy transition and emissions reduction objectives.

The PLADESHi incorporates projects for energy efficiency, cogeneration, gas utilization, emissions reduction, and new technologies. Among them, it includes cogeneration projects at the Salina Cruz and Tula refineries, as well as at the Cangrejera Petrochemical Complex, which together could add more than 2,000 MW of capacity by 2030. It also foresees initiatives related to the production of sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) and green hydrogen, both with a target entry into operation by 2030, as well as the gradual development of electromobility infrastructure in Pemex facilities, through collaboration schemes with third parties, starting in 2026.

Therefore, the energy transition proposed in PLADESHi does not imply an immediate replacement of hydrocarbons, but a gradual strategy in which these continue to be part of the energy matrix while seeking to reduce the energy intensity and emissions associated with their production and transformation.

What does it represent for participants in the sector?

From a legal and investment perspective, the PLADESHi (National Hydrocarbons Development Plan) consolidates planning as a central element for the development of the hydrocarbons sector. In this context, companies that currently participate in or intend to develop regulated activities must consider not only the applicable requirements for obtaining and maintaining permits and authorizations, but also the alignment of their projects with the priorities and needs identified in sectoral planning instruments.

In this regard, the PLADESHi (National Plan for Sustainable Development in the Hidalgo) is a key reference for identifying priority regions, infrastructure needs, transportation and storage projects, new development hubs, and opportunities for participation and investment. Furthermore, its fifteen-year timeframe and annual reviews will allow for adjustments to the plan as demand, resource availability, and the sector's technical and economic needs evolve.

Although the new energy policy places the State, PEMEX, and CENAGAS at the center of planning, the PLADESHi maintains significant opportunities for private sector participation. This participation can materialize through: (i) allocations for mixed development; (ii) contracts and collaboration agreements with PEMEX; (iii) infrastructure development; (iv) provision of specialized services; (v) participation in projects related to transportation, storage, processing, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction; and (vi) opportunities for infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation, as well as the development of technologies and solutions for cogeneration, biofuels, hydrogen, and electromobility, among others.

Specifically, for the development of SISTRANGAS infrastructure, certain strategic projects may be carried out by third parties under the planning and coordination of the relevant authorities. Therefore, incorporating a project into the planning instruments can be particularly important for its subsequent structuring and development.

Taken together, the PLADESHi establishes a roadmap for hydrocarbon production and the expansion and modernization of the sector's infrastructure, with a special emphasis on natural gas, transportation, storage, processing, infrastructure maintenance, and mixed development schemes. Its implementation should be analyzed in coordination with the 2025-2030 Energy Sector Program, the PEMEX Strategic Plan 2025-2035, and the SISTRANGAS Five-Year Expansion Plan 2025-2029, particularly to anticipate priority projects and new opportunities for participation in the sector.

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For more information on PLADESHi, the modalities of private participation in the hydrocarbons sector and the regulatory, financial and ESG (environmental, social and governance) implications for project development, contact: