Pearson, a British industrialist, had done a deal with the anti-American government of Mexico for a 50-year oil concession that covered much of the state of Veracruz.

皮尔逊是一位英国实业家，事故发生前，他与墨西哥反美政府达成了一项为期50年的石油特许权协议，该协议覆盖了韦拉克鲁斯州的大部分地区。