On December 11, 2014, the National Hydrocarbons Commission of Mexico (Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos) ("CNH") announced in the Federal Register (Diario Oficial de la Federación) the first call for bids to participate in the Round One auction of oil and gas properties in Mexico ("Call to Bid"). Round One will feature 14 shallow water blocks. Interested domestic and international parties (including Mexican state production companies such as Pemex) may submit bids for multiple blocks, and each successful bidder will enter into a production sharing contract for its block. As part of the Call to Bid, the CNH also published the model production sharing contract.
To participate in Round One, an interested bidder must pay (i) Mex$5.3 million (approximately US$359,300 to access the Data Room and (ii) Mex$280,000 (approximately US$19,500) to prequalify and to be eligible to submit bids.
The following schedule for Round One was also published:
| Event | Date |
| Issue of Call to Bid and bidding guidelines | 12/11/14 |
| Issue of revised bidding guidelines (includes the first draft of the contract) | 03/13/15 |
| Issue of final bidding guidelines (includes the final draft of the contract) | 06/15/15 |
| Period to request access to the Data Room (which will require payment) | 12/11/14 to 03/16/15 |
| Access to the Data Room | 01/15/15 to 07/14/15 |
| First stage of clarifications (access to the Data Room) | 12/11/14 to 02/25/15 (the deadline to submit Q&As is 02/20/15) |
| Second stage of clarifications (prequalification) | 12/11/14 to 03/11/15 (the deadline to submit Q&As is 03/05/15) |
| Third stage of clarifications (filing and opening of proposals, awards, and contracts) | 04/28/15 to 06/15/15 (the deadline to submit Q&As is 06/01/15) |
| Period to pay for registration and request appointment for prequalification | 12/11/14 to 03/16/15 |
| Submission of prequalification documents | 12/11/14 to 03/31/15 |
| Prequalification (review of documentation by the Bid Committee) | 12/11/14 to 04/23/15 |
| Issue of the list of parties that are prequalified to participate in Round One | 04/27/15 |
| Deadline to request financial partners (not prequalified) in the structure of joint bidders. | 05/20/15 |
| Deadline to request authorization to change the structure of joint bidders. | 06/10/15 |
| Deadline to respond to requests for (i) authorization to change the structure of joint bidders, and (ii) the inclusion of possible financial partners (not prequalified) in the structure of joint bidders. | 06/15/15 |
| Opening of proposals and announcement of winning bidders | 07/15/15 |
| Resolution issued by the Mexican government making the award official and publication in the Federal Register (Diario Oficial de la Federación) | 07/17/15 |
| Deadline for execution of the contracts | 08/21/15 |
To participate in Round One, an interested bidder must pay (i) Mex$5.3 million (approximately US$359,300 to access the Data Room and (ii) Mex$280,000 (approximately US$19,500 to prequalify and to be eligible to submit bids.
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