Petronas Carigali is scaling back its Mexican operations with many local jobs being lost after disappointing high impact exploration drilling that failed to discover the hoped for hydrocarbon riches.

The operator is relinquishing two of its offshore blocks in the Salina basin offshore Mexico, although it could not be confirmed which assets are for the chop. Sources said that the decision to relinquish the acreage comes after two wildcats that failed to deliver and the operator found itself unable to divest the blocks to another player.