Ever since Exxon and their partners began their string of unprecedented exploration success offshore Guyana, industry watchers have kept a close eye on the neighbouring deepwater blocks offshore Suriname.   At the beginning of 2020, Apache and Total made the long-awaited announcement of a significant oil discovery at the Maka Central-1  in Suriname’s Block 58.  This was much welcomed news for Suriname and for its state-owned oil company, Staatsolie, who are also the regulator for the industry.    

In Suriname, onshore activities have had a long history of success and the country has been producing crude oil since 1982.  In an interview with EnergyNow, Staatsolie stated that this discovery is the proof that Suriname also has a working petroleum system offshore. If a decision is taken to appraise this discovery and eventually develop it, “Suriname will never be the same much like the impact the Liza development had on Guyana”.

According to Apache, Maka Central-1 successfully tested for the presence of hydrocarbons in multiple stacked targets in the upper Cretaceous-aged Campanian and Santonian intervals and encountered both oil and gas condensate. Apache has stated that Block 58 comprises 1.4 million acres and offers significant potential beyond the discovery at Maka Central.  They have identified at least seven distinct play types and more than 50 prospects within the thermally mature play fairway.

Staatsolie will be a major stakeholder in this activity going into 2020, and they are the contracting party for the Production Sharing Contract (PSC).  Under Surinamese law, Staatsolie are the regulator and the Staatsolie Hydrocarbon Institute (SHI) has been set up to facilitate this role. SHI is a100% subsidiary of Staatsolie and will be the state agent acting on behalf of the Government on hydrocarbon developments. Contracting & supervision of PSCs will also be performed by SHI.

According to Staatsolie, “besides direct income for the State (royalties, profit oil, income tax and the direct participation of Staatsolie), we expect our local business society to quickly catch up and develop to support the offshore industry.”

Although the country does not have specific local content policies and legislation, in 2017 Staatsolie and the consulting firm DAI executed a baseline study on the readiness of the local business sector to become suppliers to the offshore industry.  They also assessed the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system and its readiness to supply staff to the offshore industry.

Plans for future offshore drilling

Apache will drill two additional wells in Block 58 using the Sam Croft drilling rig.  Apache will be starting with the Sapakara West prospect. Sapakara West-1, located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of the Maka Central discovery, will test oil-prone upper cretaceous targets in the Campanian and Santonian intervals.

In addition to Apache’s activities, Petronas will drill in Block 52 and Tullow together with partners Ratio Exploration will drill in Block 47 all in 2020.

Kosmos, with partners Chevron and Hess plans to drill in the first half of 2021 in Block 42.