Mexico City is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Its residents require massive amounts of gas and oil to satisfy their growing energy needs.

Mexico relies heavily on the oil and gas extracted from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Obviously, that presents a big challenge in securing resources. That can generate ripple effects in the nation's economy, sometimes forcing the country to look to foreign energy suppliers in times of need.

To address the problem, Black & Veatch helped Compañía de Nitrógeno de Cantarell, SA de CV, (CNC), owned jointly by BOC from the UK and Marubeni from Japan, to expand a major plant, originally built in 1998. It supplies the power needed for delivering additional nitrogen to maintain pressure in the Gulf of Mexico oil fields.

Black & Veatch constructed a cogeneration plant that included the installation of a combustion turbine generator. The added power enabled the facility to separate nitrogen from the atmosphere and deliver it some 60 miles offshore for injection into the oil fields.

The project team worked closely with the nearby communities of the Atasta Peninsula to ensure that the benefits of the expansion were shared at a local level.

The team fostered positive relations with Mexican labor unions in a tough local economy. Black & Veatch was able to secure a highly skilled workforce to support the demands of the project. In addition to providing high-paying jobs for local workers, Black & Veatch worked to ensure local purchasing to the greatest extent possible. The investment made in the nearby coastal communities has helped to stimulate their economies.