Of all the countries in the world considered to be oil rich, Mexico is the only one that consistently has been losing production and reserves in the last ten years. Even though Mexico has five major producing provinces: two for oil (the Southeast and the Tampico–Misantla basins) and three for gas (the Sabinas, Burgos and Veracruz basins), and has seven more with potential, (California, Gulf of Cortès, Chihuahua, Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra de Chiapas, Progreso shelf, and the deep Gulf of Mèxico), its output and reserves have declined consistently.

Many reasons can be attributed for these results, and as...