Suriname Staatsolie Offshore Explorer

What a special 2025 present from Staatsolie (Suriname’s national oil company), Sweet Suriname, images as published on their website!
Based on this, a great weekend geological and petroleum exploration puzzle for enthusiasts.

Let me begin with a short warming-up fairy tale:
“The Golden Tale of the Suriname Sea”

Once upon a time, in the shimmering waters off the coast of South America, lay a promising region known as the Golden Lane of Guyana Suriname Basin (GSGL) – a term referring to a potentially oil-rich corridor extending across offshore areas of both countries.

This name, first proposed by myself in 2008, would later prove to be prophetic of great discoveries, as the legendary Liza field revealed its treasures in neighboring Guyana seven years later. The Liza discovery is significant as it confirmed the basin’s potential with recoverable resources estimated at over 800 million barrels of oil equivalent.

In this realm of deep-water exploration, international oil companies have sought their fortunes with varying degrees of success.

Shell, one of the world’s largest energy companies, once ventured with the Abary-1 well in Guyana, then exited Stabroek Block just before the Liza giant discovery. They later returned to the region with Zanderij-1, their first unsuccessful well in Suriname. Their exploration well Araku-1 Deep will be drilled in Q4 of 2025, in around 1,000 meters deep waters, and strives to yield commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. It will be in fact a deeper re-drill of the Araku-1 well of Tullow Oil, in October 2017, then in the license named Block54.

As industry professionals often say: “This is the nature of exploration in challenging environments.”

Now, as 2025 begins, a new player re-enters our story, following activities in Block 58.

TotalEnergies, the French multinational energy company, is pursuing opportunities in the promising Block 64.

They are building on lessons learned from previous unsuccessful wells drilled by Kosmos Energy and Tullow Oil in adjacent blocks, hoping to unlock new potential in this evolving basin.

The most intriguing aspect of the region’s petroleum potential lies in understanding the “Stratigraphy Of The Suriname-Guyana Basin” – a geological chart showing the layered rock formations that developed over millions of years.

Like ancient texts that require careful interpretation, these stratigraphic charts contain valuable information that geologists continuously analyze and debate, seeking clues to hydrocarbon accumulations.

As for the Gran Morgu prospect with its estimated 700,000 barrels of potential reserves, this target remains a geological opportunity, trapped within specific rock formations that formed during Earth’s history.

For this weekend’s exploration puzzle, consider these questions:

1) What concept did I introduce in 2008, seven years before the first Liza discovery in Guyana?
The “Golden Lane of Guyana Suriname Basin” (GSGL) concept, which is now frequently referenced in industry discussions about this region.

2) Where precisely is the Gran Morgu prospect located? (Within which block or geographical coordinates in Surinamese waters?)

3) In which specific geological formations or time periods are the petroleum resources of the estimated 700,000 barrel reserves believed to be located? (Cretaceous, Paleogene, or other formations?)

4) Where was Shell’s unsuccessful Zanderij-1 well positioned? (Block number, water depth, or relative location to known landmarks)

5) What is the exact location of Shell’s Araku-1 Deep well, and what geological target or play concept was it testing?

6) In which specific area within Block 64 is TotalEnergies planning to drill during the first half of 2025, and what geological rationale supports this location choice?

7) What specific inaccuracy can be identified in the widely circulated “Stratigraphy of the Suriname-Guyana Basin Chart”? Is there a formation misplaced, a time period mislabeled, or another technical error?

I encourage readers to research these questions using publicly available geological data, industry reports, and Staatsolie’s official information.

Exploration is a fascinating journey that combines science, technology, and sometimes a bit of fortune. As they say in the region, life offers just one opportunity, and without enthusiasm (salsa), there is no reward (paradise)!

For those interested in learning more about Suriname’s offshore potential, consider reviewing technical publications from geological societies and petroleum industry sources that discuss the Guyana-Suriname Basin in detail.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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