Two international oil companies have announced plans to begin new drilling campaigns offshore Suriname next year, adding to the country’s growing exploration activity as interest in the Guyana-Suriname Basin continues to build.
Reuters reported at the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit in Paramaribo that TotalEnergies intends to launch a new multi-well exploration campaign in 2027, while PetroChina is preparing to begin shallow-water drilling during the same period.
TotalEnergies’ vice president for exploration in the Americas, Daniel Larranaga, said the company hopes to begin drilling next year, subject to rig availability. According to Reuters, the campaign will include four exploration wells in Block 58, the offshore block that also contains the GranMorgu development.
GranMorgu is Suriname’s first offshore oil development and is expected to begin production in 2028. The US$10.5 billion project is operated by TotalEnergies alongside APA Corporation, with Staatsolie holding a participation interest.
Larranaga said the new wells are aimed at expanding exploration within Block 58, where several significant discoveries have already been made.
Reuters also reported comments from Staatsolie Managing Director Annand Jagesar, who said there is still considerable exploration potential within the block. He noted that a large enough discovery could support development of a second standalone field, while smaller discoveries could be tied back to the GranMorgu infrastructure. Jagesar added that Staatsolie intends to participate in projects that offer attractive returns for Suriname as the company structures its finances to support future investments.
At the same conference, PetroChina confirmed it is moving toward its first drilling campaign in Suriname’s shallow offshore acreage.
Reuters reported that PetroChina is spending 2026 identifying well locations in Blocks 14 and 15 before drilling begins in 2027.
Li Guoyong, general manager of PetroChina’s Suriname unit, said the company has established a clear operating plan for the project. PetroChina signed production sharing contracts for the two blocks in 2024 following Suriname’s offshore bidding round.
Staatsolie, through its subsidiary Paradise Oil Company, holds a 30% participating interest in both blocks.
The announcements add to a series of recent developments in Suriname’s offshore sector. Earlier this week, President Jennifer Geerlings Simons announced that Petronas had made another discovery in Block 52, while company executives said the block’s discoveries now exceed one billion barrels of oil equivalent. A final investment decision on the Sloanea gas development is expected later this year.