Gran Morgu

Just a geo-musing, on a cold sunny winter morning.
In retrospective.

December 9, 2009 vs February 16, 2025 – nearly 16 years apart. These dates mark the beginning of Suriname’s offshore exploration predictions and today’s remarkable discoveries, transforming the nation’s energy landscape.

Just to say and see…

“The times they are a’changing” – indeed they have.

Prognosis before Gran Morgu discoveries estimated 750 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), with potential up to 2 billion BOE in the vicinity. Today, these estimates have been validated through major discoveries in the Golden Lane, Stabroek Block, Block 58, and Block 52 – creating a new energy frontier in South America.

These offshore developments parallel the profound changes described in Bob Dylan’s visionary anthem “The Times They Are A-Changin'”:

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown

These lyrics particularly resonate with Suriname’s offshore transformation, where the “waters around” literally contain the resources reshaping the nation’s future.

And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

This verse reflects the urgency for adaptation that applies not only to Suriname but also to the European Union and broader global energy transitions.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast

Here, Dylan’s words mirror how previously “slow” developing nations like Guyana and “Switi Sranan” (Sweet Suriname) are now rapidly advancing in the global energy sector.

As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last

The geopolitical shifts discussed at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025, echo this sentiment of changing world orders.

For the times they are a-changin’

Conclusion:
Suriname’s offshore journey from modest 2009 predictions to substantial 2025 discoveries exemplifies how regions can transform through resource development. This evolution mirrors Dylan’s poetic vision of change, reminding us that today’s energy landscape is in constant flux. As Suriname emerges as a significant player in global energy markets, we witness the physical manifestation of times truly changing.

About the Song:
“The Times They Are A-Changin'” – an iconic, visionary anthem written by Bob Dylan, remains one of my enduring favorites. It’s worth noting that on October 13, 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition” – recognizing the profound literary value of works like this that continue to illuminate our changing world.

Photo credit:
Staatsolie Energy Seminar, M. Daal & A. Nelson, December 9, 2009.

Explore more about Suriname’s energy developments