Mexico Bets on Fracking to Reduce Dependence on US Energy

(MENAFN) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum unveiled an ambitious plan Wednesday to unlock the country's untapped natural gas reserves through hydraulic fracturing — a move framed as a national sovereignty play, even as environmental groups warn of severe health and ecological risks.

Speaking at her regular morning briefing, Sheinbaum acknowledged a dramatic shift in her long-held personal position on the controversial drilling technique, pivoting toward fracking as a strategic tool to reduce Mexico's overwhelming reliance on American energy supplies.

The numbers behind that dependence are stark. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) data from 2025, Mexico imported an average of 6.638 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day — a historic high — while total national consumption sits at roughly 8.6 billion cubic feet daily, meaning the United States currently fulfills 76% of Mexico's gas needs.

Sheinbaum tied the initiative directly to national interest, invoking the language of sovereignty even while maintaining she enjoys a strong working relationship with President Donald Trump's administration.

"The first is energy sovereignty. We consume unconventional gas; Mexico consumes unconventional gas. It is just 100 meters (3,937 feet) from the border, except that it is in Texas. Seventy-five percent of the gas Mexico consumes is unconventional gas, only it is exploited in the United States," she said.

She added: "But we must look after our country's energy sovereignty, just as the United States looks after its own energy sovereignty."

The plan targets 9,000 new wells annually — a scale that anti-fracking advocates say would carry a devastating water cost. The Mexican Alliance Against Fracking estimates that fracturing a single well consumes between 9 and 29 million liters of water, meaning the full program could drain a volume of water equal to the annual household consumption of up to 7.2 million people.

Health risks flagged by the Mexican Alliance Against Fracking are equally alarming: at least 25% of chemicals used in drilling fluids are linked to cancer and genetic mutations, 37% can disrupt the endocrine system, 40% may provoke allergic reactions, 50% are associated with nervous system damage, and people residing near active wells face a 66% elevated risk of air pollution-related cancer.

Sheinbaum sought to counter those concerns by pointing to what she described as technological advances in the industry, including the use of biodegradable compounds and water recycling systems in place of toxic chemical mixtures.

"That makes us see that we must once again look at unconventional gas through the lens of sovereignty and with a focus on minimizing environmental impacts as much as possible," she said.

She also pledged community consultations in any region slated for gas extraction, and offered a firm assurance to the public: "We will not do anything against the population, never."

In a candid admission, Sheinbaum acknowledged her own ideological journey on the issue — one that has taken her from outright opposition to reluctant advocacy.

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