"Mexico Oil Watchdog Sounds Alarm"

"Mexico's oil regulator is sounding an alarm over plans by the country's state oil monopoly to drill two ultra-deep-water wells near U.S. waters this year, saying neither the company nor his commission is prepared to handle a serious accident or oil spill there.

The regulator's chief, Juan Carlos Zepeda, said Petróleos Mexicanos has relatively little experience with deep-water drilling, much less with the ultra-deep wells—those at depths exceeding 6,000 feet—that it could tackle as soon as next month. Pemex plans to drill as many as six deep-water wells this year, including the two ultra-deep wells ...."

Ángel González and Laurence Iliff report for the Wall St. Journal February 15, 2012. [While most of this article is available only to paid subscribers, you can get an "article free pass" by searching on the title via Google.]