Grupo Carso Acquires TotalEnergies' 30% Stake in Gulf Block KAN

Grupo Carso, through its subsidiary Zamajal, announced on July 16, 2026 a binding agreement to acquire the 30% stake held by TotalEnergies in Block 30, in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where the light-oil KAN field is located. The transaction value was not disclosed and closing is subject to government approvals.

Block 30 is located in the Cuenca Salina del Istmo, 29 kilometers from shore, in water depths of between 40 and 50 meters. The 25-year production-sharing contract was awarded in April 2018 by the then-Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH) through an international public tender, as reported by Forbes México. Harbour Energy, the British oil company that operates the block, retains the remaining 70% and will continue as operator. TotalEnergies' exit and Carso's entry reconfigure ownership of a 30.5-square-kilometer asset in one of the Gulf's most active exploratory basins, shared by Mexico and the United States.

The acquisition consolidates Carlos Slim's expansion in Mexico's hydrocarbons sector. In recent years, Grupo Carso, through Carso Energy and Zamajal, has acquired a stake in the Zama field, purchased the Ichalkil and Pokoch fields from Russian company Lukoil, and signed service contracts with Pemex at the Ixachi field, according to Bloomberg Línea. The transaction takes place against a backdrop of selective foreign investment in Mexico's upstream sector: while international oil companies like TotalEnergies reduce their exposure, domestic players like Carso absorb those stakes. The original Block 30 consortium included Premier Oil and Deutsche Erdoel Mexico, the latter now integrated into Harbour Energy, reflecting the operator rotation that has characterized the asset since its award.

Closing of the transaction depends on Mexican authorities granting the necessary approvals. The regulatory decision will be the key signal to watch: it will define the pace at which domestic private capital can absorb the stakes that international oil companies choose to release in the Gulf of Mexico.

This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.