VIEW FROM THE TOP
SAILING MEXICO’S OIL INDUSTRY TOWARD SUCCESS JUAN PABLO VEGA President & General Director of Naviera Integral
Q: How would you evaluate Naviera Integral’s development
the international maritime treaties signed by Mexico. Now
over the past year?
that the industry will start tapping deepwater developments
A: Last year presented some challenges for the maritime
we will introduce new technologies and procedures to meet
industry as oil prices had not stabilized and we operated
the necessities of those companies coming into the country.
under difficult circumstances. The cuts in PEMEX’s budget
We perceive new market horizons.
presented further challenges as the industry had to adapt to narrower public expenditures. This year, the industry has
Q: What steps have you taken to meet the requirements
picked up again mainly due to the US$60/b prices we have
for the shallow and deepwater segments?
seen since April. There are new licensing rounds set to be
A: We awaited a more active implementation of the Energy
launched and we are waiting for bids to roll in. We are
Reform in previous years, but the drop in international oil
always looking for technological changes applied globally
prices constrained investment from coming in large numbers
and how to bring them to Mexico and we plan to continue
and this harmed the purpose of the licensing rounds.
following those trends. Moreover, through the technology
Now we are waiting for the awarded contracts to start
innovations on our vessels, their cleaner engines and the
providing their benefits and with Mexican crude reaching
cost-effective solutions we offer, we have been able to
the US$60/b threshold, we expect more companies to be
remain competitive in the market despite the adversity and
attracted to the country. For deepwater activities, we have
we are confident about the company’s future in light of the
equipped our vessels with high technology, mostly coming
improved market circumstances.
from The Netherlands, which is the best maritime market in the world. For shallow waters, we updated our fleet based
Q: What are some of the most recent changes to your
on PEMEX’s requirement to have vessels under 15 years
business lines?
old, which implied a challenge for us since it required a
A: We ventured into the tourism industry, specifically in the
large investment. Nevertheless, we were able to meet the
southeast of Mexico where the market is as promising as
requirement and provide the service.
it is competitive. We introduced Dutch vessels to explore our opportunities there and we have been successful so
Q: What is the message maritime companies should give
far. We apply high-security measures, environmentally-
to the incoming federal administration?
friendly practices and we rely on a series of certifications
A: I would pass on the message about the Energy Reform’s
and procedures that set us apart from our competitors.
protection and shielding institutions to keep them
Regardless of how competitive the maritime industry is in
unaffected from potential governmental changes. All the
the Mexican Gulf, we have competed successfully.
agreements, contracts awarded and procedures should be respected. I also think companies should consider that
Q: How has Naviera Integral maintained its market
the reform entails a well-articulated regulatory framework
advantages amid the industry’s changes?
that will remain regardless of political cycles. The reform
A: Now that the Energy Reform has entered into full motion
was created for the country’s welfare, to introduce new
and operators are starting to explore and develop their
technologies and new modern procedures, so the next
awarded blocks, we have reached out to a larger number
government should be respectful of norms and regulations.
of clients. We provide efficiency, we are willing to provide companies a value chain and new technologies, so we have different competitive advantages that set us at
Naviera Integral is a 100 percent Mexican company with
the forefront of the service providers. We submit to the
over 30 years of experience offering maritime services to
rules and regulations from local authorities, comply with
the country’s oil and gas sector. It has more than 30 vessels
inspections and we meet the requirements stipulated by
covering the industry’s different needs
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