Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally backed a ban on hydraulic fracturing in the Tampico-Misantla basin, one of the country's most significant shale gas reserves.
The decision was announced during her daily morning address, the *mañanera*, where she was joined by a government-appointed expert committee on non-conventional gas.
The committee presented its initial findings after months of study, concluding that the environmental and social risks of fracking outweigh the potential energy benefits in the region.
The move reinforces Mexico's broader policy shift away from unconventional oil and gas extraction, a stance that has drawn criticism from energy investors and the United States.
By codifying the ban in the Tampico-Misantla basin, the government is effectively locking out major international energy firms from accessing what analysts have long considered a key frontier for North American shale production.
The decision underscores the administration's prioritization of environmental protection and state-controlled energy development over market-driven expansion.