On May 4, 2021, the first amendment to Mexico’s Hydrocarbons Law was published in the Federal Official Gazette, with the legislative process having concluded on April 22, 2021, after a heated debate during a plenary session of the Senate (the “Amendment”).

The Amendment modifies core aspects of the permits necessary to perform midstream and downstream activities in the hydrocarbons sector, giving the Energy Regulatory Commission (Comisión Reguladora de Energía, “CRE”) discretionary powers to grant and approve the assignment of permits, among other powers. For more details on the Amendment, see our previous Legal Update.

The Amendment will become effective on May 5, 2021.