The five-year "noncommercial" deal with the Norwegian player wasinked by Carlos Morales Gil, director-general of Pemex Exploration &Production, and Statoil’s strategy vice-president Helge Haldorsen.

“Thisagreement renews cooperative relations between both companies, with the purposeof enriching the value chain on exploration, drilling, production,transportation and storage of hydrocarbons,” Pemex said in a statement.

The move highlights the Mexican state oil company’s push to tap into the technology of the global oil and gas industry under promises from Mexico president