In September 2018, Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission approved a $325m budget for appraisal drilling at Zama.
However, the presidency of López Obrador changed the approach of the Mexican government with private oil companies.
The Mexican company argues that the Zama deposit extends into its territory, but the firm must prove it by drilling.
[5] A third-party reservoir engineering firm concluded Talos held 49.6% of the discovery, while the remaining 50.4% was found to be in Pemex-operated areas.
However, Talos CEO Tim Duncan considered that the analysis underestimated relevant data.