Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) opened its second round of tender offers for companies interested in exploring for natural gas in the Burgos Basin. Pemex will take bids on four new blocks in the region located south of Texas. Through its multiple-service contracts, which allow international companies to take part in exploration, Pemex last year awarded tenders for five blocks in the basin. The contracts are part of Mexico’s plan to halve the country’s gas imports by 2007. Last year, Mexico’s gas output totaled 4.4 Bcf/d. Pemex will take bids for the Pandura-Anahuac and Ricos blocks through Oct. 26. Tenders for the Pirineo and Monoclonal blocks will begin Aug. 17 and will be taken through Nov. 23. In total, Pemex said the contracts are worth $2.7 billion.

Enterprise Products Partners LP and GulfTerra Energy Partners LP said their unitholders have approved the proposed merger of the two publicly traded partnerships in meetings held by the companies on Thursday in Houston. At the Enterprise unitholder meeting, 99.7% of the total common units that voted were in favor of the merger, which represents 83% of their total outstanding common units. At the GulfTerra unitholder meeting, 98% of the total common units that voted were in favor of the merger, which represents 63% of their total outstanding common units. The companies are awaiting clearance by the Federal Trade Commission and the satisfaction of other customary conditions to complete the merger, which the companies expect to close in the third quarter.

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