New Hydrocarbons Sector Regulations Now In Force

On October 3, 2025, the Regulations of the Hydrocarbons Sector Law (the "Regulations") was published in the Federal Register, among other regulations that will be addressed in other publications, which entered into force the day after its publication. The new Regulations replace both the Regulations of the Hydrocarbons Law and the Regulations of the Activities Referred to in Title Three of the Hydrocarbons Law, consolidating into a single instrument the provisions applicable to allocations, contracts, permits, and authorizations across all stages of the hydrocarbons value chain (upstream, midstream, and downstream).

Unlike the previous regime, the Regulations concentrate procedural and oversight powers in the Ministry of Energy ("SENER") and the newly created National Energy Commission ("CNE"), replacing the Energy Regulatory Commission ("CRE") and the National Hydrocarbons Commission ("CNH") in the context of the new Hydrocarbons Sector Law ("LSH").