Balam

Location

The Balam Oil and Gas Field is located in the Federal Offshore area of Mexico, specifically within the Pilar-Reforma-Akal basin. The field is situated in blocks A-0039-Balam and A-0120-Ek, with coordinates 19.4853, -91.9563 (WGS 84).

Operator and Ownership

The Balam Oil and Gas Field is operated and owned by Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), Mexico's state-owned integrated oil and gas company.

Discovery and Production

• The field was discovered in 1991.
• Production began in February 1993.

Reserves

As of 2023, the reserves for the Balam Oil and Gas Field are:

• Crude Oil: 171.89 million barrels (2P reserves).
• Condensate: 1.49 million barrels (2P reserves).
• Gas: 1,415.83 million cubic meters (2P reserves).

Production Data

• Cumulative Production (as of 2020):

  • Oil: 183.69 million barrels
  • Associated Gas: 1,287.82 million cubic meters
  • Nonassociated Gas: 0 million cubic meters
  • Condensate: 0 million barrels.

• Annual Production (as of 2020 and 2022):

  • Oil: 16.82 million barrels per year (2020), 17.7 million barrels per year (2022)
  • Associated Gas: 137.09 million cubic meters per year (2020), 145.01 million cubic meters per year (2022)
  • Condensate and Nonassociated Gas: 0 million barrels/year and 0 million cubic meters/year, respectively, for both years.

Field Details

• The Balam Oil and Gas Field is part of the larger Cantarell complex, which includes several other fields such as Akal, Ek, Sihil, Kambesah, Takín, Kuil, Ixtoc, Chac, Kutz, and Nohoch.

Infrastructure and Development

• The field has been a focus of significant investment, particularly during the early years of production. Between 1991 and 1994, it was one of the principal destinations for PEMEX’s expenditures on exploration and production.

Current Status

• The field is currently operating, with ongoing production activities. However, like other fields in the Cantarell complex, it has experienced depletion over the years. The Chac, Balam, and Kutz fields have begun to be depleted, although other fields within the complex have compensated for some of the decline in production.