On August 14, 2026, the Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo (IMP) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) of the United States announced a memorandum of understanding establishing a technical cooperation framework. The agreement aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, professional capacity development, and the adoption of international standards in the oil industry.
The IMP is Mexico's public petroleum research center; the API, with more than 100 years of history, administers a portfolio of more than 800 internationally recognized standards, according to BNamericas. The alliance brings together complementary capabilities: the Mexican institute contributes specialized knowledge of the national sector, while the U.S. organization provides global technical references. The signing comes at a moment of high volatility in global oil markets, as North American energy integration solidifies as a pillar of regional competitiveness. The memorandum also includes the review and technical validation of Spanish-language translations of API standards, as well as IMP specialists' participation in the committees that develop those standards.
Elizabeth Mar Juárez, IMP Director General, stressed that the agreement expands the institute's technical capabilities through internationally recognized benchmarks of excellence. "This alliance constitutes a key driver for industrial development, the energy transition, and the growth of domestic content," she said, according to Energía a Debate. On the U.S. side, Anchal Liddar, from API's Global Industry Services vice presidency, said the agreement is the result of more than a year of dialogue between both institutions. The work plan is organized around four pillars: standards; training and certification; research, innovation, and standardization; and regulatory monitoring and information exchange.
The next step will be to translate the memorandum into concrete actions. Both institutions will explore making the IMP an API-approved training provider and a certification evaluation center, in areas such as methane emissions, carbon capture, and pipeline safety.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.