Mexico minister tight-lipped on Saudi oil talks

MEXICO CITY, June 11 (Reuters) - Mexico is aware of the pressure high oil prices are putting on producer nations, Energy Minister Georgina Kessel said on Wednesday, but gave no indication whether she would attend a Saudi Arabia meeting on supply.

Non-OPEC member Mexico, the world's No. 6 oil producer, is straining to keep production steady and has lowered its output estimate for 2008 to 2.9 million barrels a day from 3.0 million as yields wane at its Cantarell field.

State oil monopoly Pemex last week slashed its 2008 crude oil export estimate to 1.40 million to 1.45 million bpd, 15 percent below its original target for the year.

Asked whether she planned to attend a June 22 meeting called by leading exporter Saudi Arabia for producer and consumer nations to discuss sky-rocketing crude prices, Kessel declined to reply.

"We have been very mindful of the call that has been made to increase production," she told a news conference, adding that Mexico felt world oil prices should reflect market conditions.

"You know perfectly well the problem that we are facing in Mexico," she added.

Neither the energy ministry nor Pemex could say whether Mexico would send a delegation to the meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Oil producers and consumers met less than two months ago in Rome but failed to produce any concrete measures to tame oil prices, which were trading above $134 a barrel on Wednesday. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by David Gregorio)