The move comes as the Mexican state company is poised to kick off a programme to build 22 new vessels amid a ramp-up of its oil sector, the company said Thursday.

The goal is to "share experiences with the goal of building capabilities of the shipyards and associated industries in Mexico," the company added.

The business is poised to further expand following constitutional reform late last year that will allow private investment in the business for the first time in decades.

Pemex