ACON-backed Citla Energy Wins Three Blocks in Mexican Shallow Water Auction

Mexico City, June 23, 2017 – Citla Energy (“Citla” or “the Company”), an independent Mexican oil & gas exploration and production company, announced that it has been awarded three new blocks as part of Mexican Round 2.1. The blocks were awarded under production sharing contracts with a duration of up to 40 years (30 years plus two five year extensions) and are located in the south east of the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most prolific and under explored shallow water basins in the world, covering ca. 1,500km2, in water depths of 100-500 meters and approximately 50 kilometers offshore, in good proximity to Pemex’s existing infrastructure. Citla was awarded the following blocks in consortium with ENI of Italy and Cairn Energy PLC:

• Block 7: Citla (25%), ENI (45%, operator), Cairn (30%);
• Block 9: Citla (35%), Cairn (65%, operator);
• Block 14: Citla (40%), ENI (60% operator).

Blocks 7 and 9 attracted half of the total bids from the whole round, a testament to their attractiveness, whilst block 14 was secured with one of the highest profit share for the contractor.

Citla’s success in Round 2.1 is a major step towards the Company’s strategy to build a robust portfolio of highly selected offshore and onshore assets in Mexico through active participation in the Mexican Energy Reform, both independently and in partnership with other industry participants. With these contract awards, Citla has strengthened its position as a leading local player in the nascent Mexican oil & gas industry and as an institutional partner of choice for a select group of international oil and gas operators.

Citla is an independent Mexican oil and gas company founded in 2015, with strong institutional investors that include international and local funds managed by ACON Investments, including capital from some of the largest Mexican pension funds, as well as IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the China Mexico Fund.

Alberto Galvis, CEO of Citla said, “We are delighted with the results of Round 2.1, not only for having been awarded all of the three fields that Citla’s team carefully selected and bid for, but for the partnership we formed with high quality operators such as ENI and Cairn. We are excited about both the potential of these assets and the Mexican Energy Reform in general and look forward to working together with our partners in developing these and other assets in the future”.

About Citla
Citla Energy is a Mexican independent exploration and production company. With offices in Mexico City and Houston, Citla is an active participant in the opening of Mexico’s oil & gas sector, where it is building a portfolio of selected onshore and offshore assets both independently and in partnership with other industry participants. For more information, visit wwwcitlaenergy.com.

About ACON Investments
ACON Investments, L.L.C. is a Washington, DC-based international private equity investment firm that manages private equity funds and special purpose partnerships that make investments in the United States and Latin America. Founded in 1996, ACON has responsibility for managing approximately $5.5 billion of capital. ACON has professionals in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo and Bogotá. Its portfolio firms employ approximately 43,000 globally. For more information, visit www.aconinvestments.com.

About China-Mexico Fund
The China-Mexico Fund is a $1.2 billion fund managed by the IFC Asset Management Company which aims to support the reforms introduced in Mexico by the Government. The Fund makes equity, equity-like and mezzanine investments mainly in infrastructure, oil and gas and in other sectors, including manufacturing, agribusiness, services and banking. To learn more visit www.ifcamc.org.

About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence, to create opportunity where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.