PARAMARIBO, SURINAME – Commewijne Port Facility N.V. expects the first phase of its offshore shore base in Suriname to begin operations by the end of 2026, as construction advances on the jetty, yard, warehouse, office complex, and related support facilities.
Comport executives gave the update during a site visit to the facility in Commewijne on June 21, where the company is developing an integrated logistics base to serve Suriname’s emerging offshore oil and gas industry. The visit formed part of pre-event activities as the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (SEOGS) kicks off.
Kersten Group of Companies acquired 50% of the shares in Commewijne Port Facility N.V. in 2025, adding the port development to its wider energy services portfolio. Shariat Hasrat, Chief Executive Officer of Comport, said the company is moving toward start-up this year.
“Comport was established a couple of years ago with the intention to build a dedicated integrated shore base to fulfill the demands of the upcoming oil and gas industry, and sure enough, we expect to be in operation at the end of this year,” Hasrat said.
Serge Tjin Wong Joe, Comport’s Chief Technical Officer, said the first phase is being developed as a full-service shore base, with room to expand as offshore activity grows.
The company has acquired 850 meters of shoreline and more than 37 hectares of land, with additional acreage available for future expansion. Tjin Wong Joe said the first phase uses about 10% to 15% of the company’s available resources, leaving space for the facility to expand as demand grows.
He said the jetty is on schedule to be completed in August, with work also advancing on the port surface, office complex, warehouse, fencing, and operational systems.
Additionally, he noted that construction readiness is being aligned with operational readiness so the facility can move into service when the first phase is completed.
“…so we are finishing this first phase by the end of this year,” Tjin Wong Joe said.
Comport Operations, managed by Kassandra George, will run the port operations. The company expects 52 local workers to be on site for the first phase, with recruitment expected to start with Suriname’s Labor Ministry agency in September.
Gordon Voigt, Business Development Manager of Kersten Group, said the waste management arm tied to the development is also expected to become operational by the end of 2026. He said the main equipment has already been ordered, with the first equipment expected to arrive in August.
The waste management facility is being developed through a 50-50 joint operation with Trinidad-based Oil Mop Environmental Services, which has more than 30 years of experience.
Suriname is preparing to become an offshore oil producer through the GranMorgu development in Block 58, the country’s first sanctioned deepwater oil project. TotalEnergies announced the final investment decision for the project in October 2024, with first oil expected in 2028. The development is expected to include an FPSO with production capacity of 220,000 barrels per day.
