Around 300 Tuxtepec ejidatarios prevented the Chinese Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) from drilling in their territories in search of hydrocarbons, as they claimed that the Asian firm tried to explore the land without community authorization and without presenting permits from Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) or the federal Ministry of Energy.
The conflict in the community of Santa Teresa Papaloapan, located 11 kilometers from the center of the largest municipality in northern Oaxaca and on the border with Veracruz, remains tense because the oil giant, they say, has not been clear about the project and has acted with opacity.
The exploration by the Chinese company follows a possible discovery of oil deposits in the Papaloapan Basin, on the border of both states. The first discovery was made in 2018 in the municipality of Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, 40 kilometers from the exploration that is now being carried out in Tuxtepec.
According to data from Petróleos Mexicanos, the Cuenca region could have an oil field of up to 80 thousand barrels of condensate per day and more than 700 million cubic feet of gas per day for Pemex production, but to know the dimensions clearly, technical tests are necessary.
Diego Hérnandez Marquez, communal representative of Santa Teresa Tuxtepec, said that for three days the neighbors have gathered with sticks and machetes to the sound of bells to prevent the Chinese company from continuing with the work and drilling on communal lands.
“We are determined not to allow a foreign company to enter our lands illegally. If necessary, we will turn to the authorities so that justice is done and communal rights are not violated,” he said.
Due to possible clashes between oil workers and local residents, the area is being monitored by municipal and traffic police.
Sinopec is one of the main oil companies in the People’s Republic of China. Sinopec’s businesses include oil and gas exploration, refining and marketing, production and sales of petrochemical products, chemical fibers, chemical fertilizers and other chemical products, storage and transportation of oil and natural gas by pipeline.
According to data from the Ministry of Economy, in the country it operates as Sinopec Services Mexico and is a company dedicated to providing services to the oil industry specializing in the drilling and repair of oil wells.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
