A pilot project was initiated to classify oil and gas projects in Mexico using the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC). The UNFC assists in identifying key social and environmental factors that could impede the movement of oil and gas volumes higher up the value chain. To the authors’ knowledge, this is a unique project with significant value-adding outcomes that can be replicated in other countries.
Mexico’s Perspective
For proper assessment of discovered and undiscovered hydrocarbon volumes, Mexico adopted the Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS) as its official classification framework. The country features a wide spectrum of cultures, indigenous identities, and social organizations, and in some cases, industry activities could represent a threat to these aspects of Mexican life. As an effect of the nation’s geographical location, a diversity of ecosystems exists, from deserts to regions rich in flora and fauna such as rainforests and wetlands.
