Overview
- Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar, who released a new brief Tuesday, said unconventional gas could cut Mexico’s import reliance but only under strict rules and public evidence.
- The federal government has seated a panel of public universities and research institutes to deliver a scientific diagnosis and pledged consultations with affected communities.
- Indigenous communities and environmental groups protested at the Chamber of Deputies and submitted petitions that call for a constitutional ban on fracking.
- Lawmakers and analysts warn the legal framework is unclear and say letting private or foreign firms into projects could invite investor–state arbitration under the USMCA.
- Studies and NGOs cite heavy water use, possible methane and waste pollution, and induced quakes, and Mexico’s regulator has noted the ATG play could require thousands of tightly spaced wells.