Juan Carlos Zepeda Molina will tell you he is a man of faith. The president of Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH), who has been the public face of his country’s bid rounds to open the sector to private players, is a strong believer in God.

But especially as the country closes in on its crucial inaugural deep-water round next month, he also has profound trust in the expertise of his team and the promise of continuing to drive forward Mexico’s energy reforms.

“Through