Sheinbaum, Mexico's Sheinbaum, backtracks from his opposition to fracking and says that new methods are cleaner

The Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged on Thursday a change in her position?on hydraulic fracture, or fracking. She argued that new technologies made?the extraction technique less environmentally damaging.

Sheinbaum said that its use in Mexico would help to?boost the domestic gas production and reduce Mexico's heavy reliance on U.S. imported gas.

Her comments are a departure from those of Sheinbaum’s political mentor, Andres Manual Lopez Obrador. He was a staunch critic of this technique.

Both leaders have previously spoken out against the fracking that experts, including former Mexican energy regulators officials, say?state company Pemex's has been using for decades, especially in the states Veracruz, and Tamaulipas.

The 10-year strategic plan of Pemex, presented in December, included fracking as one of its goals, but avoided the word, instead describing the technology.

Sheinbaum stated on Thursday at her morning press conference that she had spoken out against traditional fracking. How could we return to traditional fracking?" This is not the case. These are new extraction techniques with "lower environmental impact" that allow for the use of that gas.

Sheinbaum said that fracking is already being used in Mexico, which is unusual because the practice remains controversial. Pemex refers to this technique as the "stimulation complex geological deposit."

Sheinbaum stated that a technical committee would spend two months evaluating potential new fracking methods, including the use of non-potable?water and reducing chemical additions.

She said, "We must be open to new technologies in order to strengthen our national sovereignty."

Pemex estimates Mexico has the potential of around 64 billion ?barrels of crude ?oil equivalent, mainly in the Tampico-Misantla, Sabinas-Burro-Picachos and Burgos basins.

On Wednesday, the government announced its strategy for strengthening energy sovereignty. This includes tapping into natural gas deposits from both conventional and non-conventional sources.

The word "fracking" was not used by the officials at the press conference.

Mexico consumes approximately 9 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, of which Pemex produces 2.3 billion and imports 6.8 billion.

This dependency creates vulnerability to price fluctuations, climate events and geopolitical conflict, as well as regional development constraints, supply security concerns, and other factors. (Reporting and editing by Ana Isabel Martinez, Adriana Barrera and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Paul Simao and Stefanie Simao).

(source: Reuters)