Staatsolie’s open-door offering allows companies to choose contract types, define acreage, and design work programs, giving operators more control over how they enter and explore offshore blocks.
Speaking on the sidelines of Caribbean Energy Week, Offshore Exploration Manager Sharista Kisoensingh pointed to the level of optionality built into the model.
“It’s the second time that we do this, but a bit different, with more flexibility,” Kisoensingh noted.
The framework allows companies to begin with studies in frontier areas rather than commit immediately to full development terms. “If it’s frontier, then companies might first want to study first… studies can be conducted up to 24 months,” she explained.
Those studies can be carried out under joint study agreements, with the option to move into production sharing contracts based on results.
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Companies are also able to define the acreage they want to pursue. “The companies can say… that is the most prolific area for me,” Kisoensingh added, noting that proposals must follow predefined size and boundary rules.
Work programs are not fixed. Operators can propose activities aligned with available data and their technical assessment of each area. Each submission opens a 90-day window for competing proposals before Staatsolie selects a partner using set evaluation criteria.
The open-door offering, launched in November 2025 and running until November 2027, makes about 60% of Suriname’s offshore acreage available. It spans shallow to deepwater zones and includes more than 90 identified leads supported by multiple working petroleum systems.
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Companies can access geological and geophysical data through Staatsolie’s GeoPortal and GeoAtlas, with datasets available for lease to support evaluation.
Suriname has long produced oil onshore, but its offshore potential is only now being unlocked. The GranMorgu project in Block 58, operated by TotalEnergies, is set to start in 2028 with a capacity of around 220,000 barrels per day and a development cost in excess of US$10 billion.
