PARAMARIBO, SURINAME – On Tuesday, October 21, representatives from TotalEnergies and Staatsolie met with President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons to report that Suriname’s large-scale offshore GranMorgu oil project in Block 58 is 23% complete, according to a report from the Office of the President.
Leading the delegation were Javier Rielo, Senior Vice President Americas, Exploration & Production of TotalEnergies and Managing Director of Staatsolie Annand Jagesar.
Jagesar said the project is proceeding according to schedule and has now reached 23 percent of its completion. “We’re on schedule and within budget,” he reported.
Discussions also focused on local participation and supply-chain development.
“There are two ports in Suriname that will be carrying out work, and several local companies are involved,” Jagesar said. “We’ve even been able to brag a little about the local companies, because compared to Guyana, the Surinamese companies are a step ahead. As a result, processes here are also faster.”
President Simons underlined that oil development must translate into growth for other industries like agriculture and tourism. “We must already map out how much demand will arise for food and other services from the oil industry, so we can respond to that,” she said.
Jagesar agreed, stressing that broader planning should start immediately. “We shouldn’t wait for oil production to start to develop the agricultural sector. We need policies now to determine how we will further strengthen these sectors.”
He also highlighted the need for education and vocational training. “Only seven percent of the working population has a higher professional education or higher. In developed countries, that percentage is much higher. So, we need to accelerate the development of our people.”
Through the Labor Mobilization & Development Foundation, residents from disadvantaged neighborhoods are being trained as welders for local-content work.
