Mexico Senate passes energy bill; goes to lower house

By Miguel Gutierrez and Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico's Senate on Wednesday passed an energy bill that aims to lure private capital into the state-run oil and gas industry, in the biggest strategic shift since the world's No. 10 oil producer nationalized the sector in 1938. The reform, backed by the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, and the opposition conservative National Action Party (PAN), was sent to the lower house for debate and final approval. The overhaul is designed to entice private oil companies to either operate independently in Mexico, or partner with state oil giant Pemex through production- and profit-sharing, service contracts and licenses. A senior PRI lawmaker in the lower house told Reuters that the plan was to pass the bill in committees on Thursday and for the full house to give its final approval on Friday.