Pemex Contracts Draw Little Interest Before Possible Energy Bill

Spain’s Repsol SA and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. were among companies that withdrew bids to develop blocks at Petroleos Mexicanos’s Chicontepec field, a sign of waning exploration interest before a possible reform of Mexico’s energy industry.

Three of the six blocks auctioned by Pemex at Chicontepec, which is estimated to contain 40 percent of Mexico’s hydrocarbon reserves, didn’t receive any bids from 16 authorized groups. Halliburton Co. won the Humapa block and Petrolite de Mexico SA was awarded the Soledad block contract, Pemex said today in a broadcast on its website. No companies bid on Pitepec, which had the most reserves among the blocks.