A new basin modelling study has identified an area near Suriname’s Block 52 as the strongest oil-generating sweet spot along the Guyana-Suriname margin.
GeoExpro published the study results on July 9, 2026. The research was conducted by Kenneth Shipper and Paul Mann of the University of Houston’s CBTH Project, along with Andrew Pepper of This Is Petroleum Systems.
The findings come as PETRONAS advances oil and gas discoveries in Block 52. The company announced two new discoveries and a successful appraisal in June, bringing the number of successful wells in its Suriname portfolio to eight. PETRONAS reported that the wells have collectively unlocked more than one billion barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable resources.
The Caiman-1 exploration well encountered oil in several sandstone intervals. The Swartzia Aspasia Complex-1 well found gas, while the Roystonea-2 appraisal well confirmed that oil-bearing reservoirs extend beyond the earlier Roystonea-1 discovery.
Tests at Roystonea-2 also indicated strong oil production potential. PETRONAS Chief Operating Officer Mohd Jukris Abdul Wahab noted that Block 52 sits within the Golden Lane petroleum trend.
“Block 52 sits within a highly prospective corridor, the Golden Lane, and we remain focused on translating this resource base into long-term value for Suriname and for PETRONAS,” Jukris stated.
Against that backdrop, the new study examined how source rock quality, underground temperatures, burial depth, and crustal structure affect oil and gas generation across offshore Guyana and Suriname.
Its model placed the highest volume of expelled oil beneath Suriname’s outer shelf near Block 52, rather than farther into the present-day deepwater area.
Expelled oil is petroleum released from heated source rocks before it migrates into reservoirs. A strong oil-generating area does not guarantee a commercial discovery because the petroleum must still reach and remain trapped in a suitable reservoir.
The researchers found that the area near Block 52 benefited from rich source rocks and sufficient underground heat. These conditions allowed buried organic material to generate and release large volumes of petroleum.
The study also linked the outer-shelf oil-generating zone to approximately one billion barrels of heavy oil in Suriname’s coastal fields. It found that petroleum generated offshore migrated towards shallower areas and charged those accumulations.
Block 52 already contains the Sloanea gas discovery, which Staatsolie declared commercial in November 2025. The proposed development includes offshore gas wells, subsea infrastructure, and a floating liquefied natural gas facility. A final investment decision on Sloanea is targeted by the end of 2026, with first gas expected in 2030.
Staatsolie Managing Director Annand Jagesar has also indicated that an oil declaration of commerciality could be reached within 18 months, potentially an additional development to proceed within the same block.
PETRONAS holds an 80% participating interest in Block 52. Paradise Oil Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Staatsolie, holds the remaining 20%.
The modelling covered approximately 245 kilometers of the offshore Guyana-Suriname margin. It was calibrated using temperature information from seven exploration wells and geochemical data from wells drilled along the shelf, slope, and Demerara Plateau.
