Mexico's natural gas imports will more than double by 2030 to about 5.4 Bcf/d amid rising demand and falling domestic output, the energy ministry said.
Mexico's natural gas demand could rise by 20pc from 2015 levels to 9 Bcf/d by 2030, driven by rising industrial and power generation demand.
Domestic production is expected to drop 51pc by 2030 to 2.69 Bcf/d, down from 6.4 Bcf/d in 2015, according to the energy ministry's forecast.
Mexico imports around half of its gas needs, including growing pipeline supply, around 80pc of total imports, from the US and LNG from Peru, the US, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.
Manzanillo on the Pacific coast is Mexico's most active LNG terminal,receiving cargoes from Peru under a long-term contract with Mexican state-owned utility CFE.
US natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico in October 2016 were 127 Bcf, up from 98.3 Bcf a year earlier, according to US Energy Information Administration data.
By the end of 2017, the energy ministry expects pipeline supply to account for all natural gas imports as a series of new pipelines start operations and the Los Ramones Phase 2 South reaches full capacity following maintenance works.
The government is in the final stages of an ambitious $16bn program to construct 10,000km (6,214 miles) of gas pipelines by 2019, expanding the grid by 85pc from 2012 levels.
Construction of four additional cross-border natural gas pipelines from the US to Mexico will also add 3.5 Bcf/d (99mn m³/d) of capacity to Mexico's gas pipeline system in the first half of this year.
The Roadrunner pipeline, owned by Oneok Partners and Fermaca, the Nueva Era pipeline owned by Howard Energy Partners and Grupo Clisa and the Comanche Trail and Trans-Peco pipelines, both owned by Energy Transfer Partners will all be operational by June this year.
