Local content specialist Anne Rita Wijdh is urging major offshore operators in Suriname to begin investing in advanced academic and research programs before first oil production begins, pointing to Guyana’s ExxonMobil-supported education initiatives as an example of how early investment in people can strengthen local content development.
In a LinkedIn post on May 13, Wijdh called on TotalEnergies and Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname (ADEK) to work together to establish PhD programs in energy, engineering, environmental sciences, artificial intelligence, maritime studies and logistics.
Speaking to OilNOW in an exclusive interview on May 15, she argued that Suriname should not delay investments in higher education and research until offshore production ramps up.
“As Exxon is the lead operator in Guyana, in Suriname it is TotalEnergies, so I really expect that TotalEnergies will pick up these kinds of developments and assist us in Suriname because at the moment our university is in a very bad situation… We cannot wait until production to pick up these kinds of developments. That is my personal and humble view on this topic,” she said.
Wirth also issued a call for investment in scholarships for Surinamese talent, technical exchange programs and centres of excellence connected to the oil & gas industry.
Technical Training College a ‘leapfrog’ investment to build Guyana’s oil and gas workforce | OilNOW
The local content specialist argued that Suriname’s small population and projected offshore growth make early investment in people critical for long-term local content participation.
“You know how many Masters students we already have, but they cannot pursue their PhD in Suriname because it’s not available here…People don’t think about the impact that these things will have or can have. And I personally think that these operators can already start the partnerships with the institutions. They have already done so with the vocational education, but I think that they need to take it a step further,” she said.
Wijdh maintained that operators active in Suriname’s basin, including Petronas, Chevron, Shell and PetroChina, are also in a position to help expand educational opportunities as offshore activity accelerates.
“I tell them all the time, we don’t have to wait for the government…They have a very, very good forecast, so they can start investing in our people,” Wijdh stated.
TotalEnergies is leading the development of Suriname’s first offshore oil project at the GranMorgu field in Block 58.
The company holds a 50% interest in Block 58, with APA Corporation holding the remaining 50%. First oil from the GranMorgu project is expected in 2028.
