Which bay in the Gulf of Mexico is a major oil-producing region?

The Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico is a major oil-producing region. This broad bight lies off southern Mexico, bordered mainly by the states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz, and forms the northern side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Important petroleum deposits lie beneath the bay, including the Cantarell Complex, a group of five oil fields. In 2003, Cantarell was the world’s second-most productive oil field and supplied about two-thirds of Mexico’s crude-oil output. Production later declined sharply, but the bay remains central to Mexico’s offshore petroleum industry.

The Bay of Campeche is also known for major environmental and weather events. In 1979, the Ixtoc I exploratory well suffered a blowout, causing one of history’s largest accidental oil spills. The bay is also a breeding area for Atlantic hurricanes and can act as a hurricane “graveyard” when weak steering currents cause storms to stall.