Open-door policy and rising drilling activity propel investors’ interest
Suriname is signaling to the global energy market that it is open for business. When Staatsolie launches its Open-Door Offering on November 24, 2025, investors will gain unprecedented flexibility: the ability to select their own acreage and pursue either a Joint Study Agreement, a Technical Evaluation Agreement, or a full-fledged Production Sharing Contract (PSC). It is a model designed to expand participation and accelerate momentum in a basin that is quickly earning international attention.
The initiative lands at a key moment. Earlier this year, Staatsolie pointed out that “almost 50% of Suriname’s offshore acreage is under contract”. International operators are already exploring that half; Staatsolie is now packaging the other half as an extraordinary opportunity. The timing could not be more deliberate. The first offshore oil development—Block 58, led by TotalEnergies and APA Corporation—expects First Oil in 2028. The open-door strategy will feed that momentum and diversify investment.
Just months before the offering, Suriname’s acreage map shifted again. On June 17, 2025, Staatsolie signed a PSC with PETRONAS Suriname E&P B.V. and Paradise Oil Company N.V. for Block 66. PETRONAS now operates the block with an 80% stake, while Staatsolie’s subsidiary holds 20%. Staatsolie confirmed: “PETRONAS has committed to drilling two exploration wells located in promising parts of the Block during the first phase of the exploration period.”
Block 66 is large—3,390 square kilometers—and sits in water depths ranging from 1,000 to 2,200 meters. It also neighbors Block 52 to the south and Blocks 53 and 58 to the west, which have proven hydrocarbons. For PETRONAS, it cements a broader presence. The company now has stakes in six Surinamese offshore blocks: 48, 52, 53, 63, 64, and 66.
Of these, Block 52 has become PETRONAS’ showcase. The company has made several discoveries there, including Sloanea-1 in 2020 and Roystonea-1 in November 2023. In 2025, PETRONAS drilled Roystonea-2 to appraise the earlier find. It was part of a threewell program that also targeted the Caiman-1 and Kiskadee-1 prospects
The campaign began on July 6, 2025, with Noble’s Developer rig arriving just days earlier, on July 1. Operations were staged from a shore base in Paramaribo, supplying everything from drilling mud to fuel and food. Staatsolie said the campaign would last 260 to 290 working days, adding: “These activities stimulate the further growth of the Surinamese offshore oil and gas industry and create new opportunities for local suppliers of goods and services.”
Block 52 covers 4,750 square kilometers with water depths of 60 to 1,000 meters and has ― Open-door policy and rising drilling activity propel investors’ interest Suriname’s Offshore Push Q3 2025 EDITION 39 proven rich in hydrocarbons. Staatsolie lists multiple discoveries, including Fusaea-1, Roystonea-1, and Sloanea-1, with the gas find at Sloanea undergoing detailed evaluation. Analysts at Rystad Energy believe the block may hold 500 million barrels of oil equivalent, enough to justify Suriname’s first standalone gas project, possibly by 2031.
Exploration in 2025 extends beyond PETRONAS. TotalEnergies is drilling the Macaw-1 well in Block 64, Chevron is pursuing the Korikori-1 well in Block 5, and Shell is targeting the Araku Deep-1 well in Block 65. These wells are all outside the Golden Lane play fairway, offering fresh geological insights into the basin.
The pace of work in Suriname is beginning to stand out. According to Wood Mackenzie, “In 2025, for the first time since the Liza discovery, WoodMac expects to see more exploration and appraisal wells drilled in Suriname than in Guyana.” The consultancy attributes this trend to Staatsolie’s licensing policies since 2020, which it says are now bearing fruit. Guyana, by comparison, has been dominated by ExxonMobil’s Stabroek Block, where most of the country’s drilling is concentrated.
Taken together, the upcoming open-door round, PETRONAS’ firm commitments, and the busiest drilling calendar in years, signify that Suriname is moving decisively into its next phase of offshore development. Staatsolie’s long-stated ambition to be “Master of the Basin” is no longer aspirational; with half the acreage under contract and multiple rigs in play, it is rapidly becoming a reality
