PETRONAS has added the Roystonea-2 appraisal well to its exploration program in Block 52 offshore Suriname, according to Staatsolie.
Staatsolie said the well will “further evaluate the oil discovery made with the Roystonea-1 in November 2023”.
Roystonea-2 is part of a three-well campaign scheduled to begin on July 6, 2025. The other two wells, Caiman-1 and Kiskadee-1, are targeting prospects in the ‘Golden Lane’. Staatsolie explained the Golden Lane as “an area with similar subsurface characteristics, also known as a ‘play’, which in geology indicates regions where geological conditions are conducive to the formation, migration, and accumulation of oil and gas”.
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The wells are located in the western section of Block 52, about 140 kilometers offshore.
PETRONAS contracted offshore drilling company Noble to carry out the work using the Noble Developer platform. Staatsolie confirmed the rig “arrived in Surinamese waters on July 1” after undergoing “the necessary preparations and inspections”.
The National Environmental Authority granted a permit for the drilling campaign in mid-June.
Staatsolie stated that drilling will last approximately 260 to 290 working days. The program is supported from a shore base in Paramaribo, which supplies the rig with materials, fuel, food, and personnel. “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,” the company stated.
Block 52 covers 4,750 square kilometers in water depths of 60 to 1,000 meters. Staatsolie said “several oil and gas discoveries have been made in this block” since 2020, including Fusaea-1, Roystonea-1, and Sloanea-1. The gas find at Sloanea-1 is undergoing further evaluation. Rystad Energy sees Suriname’s first standalone gas project potentially materializing as early as 2031, at Block 52.
Outside of Block 52, three other wells will be drilled offshore Suriname in 2025. TotalEnergies is drilling Macaw-1 in Block 64, Chevron will drill Korikori-1 in Block 5, and Shell will drill Araku Deep-1 in Block 65. Staatsolie noted these wells are “located outside the Golden Lane”.
PETRONAS also operates Block 48 and holds a 30% non-operating stake in Block 53, where Baja-1 was discovered in 2022. According to Rystad Energy, Block 52 holds an estimated 500 million barrels of oil equivalent in resources.
