Oil blocks and concessions in Suriname
The sea off Suriname is divided into numbered blocks. For each block Staatsolie signs a production sharing contract (PSC) with one or more oil companies, which explore at their own cost and risk and, if they find something, develop and produce it. In October 2026 only Staatsolie itself produces oil, onshore in Saramacca. Offshore there are three main lines: GranMorgu in Block 58 (first oil 2028), Petronas gas in Block 52 (investment decision planned, first gas 2030 at the earliest) and a row of exploration blocks held by Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies, Petronas, QatarEnergy and PetroChina. Since November 2025 any qualified company can propose terms for the rest of the sea through the Open-Door Offering.
On this page (12)
- How the block system works
- All offshore blocks under contract
- Block 58: GranMorgu and what else is there
- Block 52: Petronas gas and a floating LNG plant
- Block 53 and the other deepwater blocks
- Shallow water: close to shore
- The Open-Door Offering: the rest of the sea
- Onshore: Staatsolie in Saramacca and the refinery
- What each operator means for suppliers
- What to watch until 2030
- Sources
- Frequently asked questions
- Shallow water (up to about 150 m) lies close to shore; deep water starts further out and runs to more than 3,000 m. The large oil finds are in deep water near the Guyana border.
- Staatsolie, through its subsidiary Paradise Oil Company (POC), holds 10 to 40% in almost every block and may take up to 20% in the development of a commercial find.
- Petronas is the most active explorer: according to the company Block 52 holds more than 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent, mainly gas. The plan is a floating LNG plant at sea.
- Not every well hits: Shell found no commercial quantities in Block 65 (Araku Deep-1). Exploration remains a gamble.
- Five proposals came in through the Open-Door Offering between June and September 2026. The current window for competing proposals in Sector 1 (SHO West) closes on 21 December 2026 at 10:00 Suriname time.
- For businesses onshore: every drilling campaign, seismic survey and development project needs logistics, port services, catering, transport and staff. Follow who drills where.
How the block system works
All oil and gas under Suriname's land and sea belongs to the state. Under the Petroleum Act 1990 (last amended by S.B. 2022 no. 152) Staatsolie manages it on the state's behalf: the company promotes acreage, signs contracts and supervises the work. The sea is divided into three zones:
- Shallow offshore: from the coast to about 150 m deep, within roughly 100 km of shore. Chevron, TotalEnergies, Petronas, QatarEnergy and PetroChina work here. Drilling uses jack-up rigs, cheaper than in deep water.
- Deep offshore: from about 150 to 2,000 m, with GranMorgu and Petronas' gas fields.
- Ultra-deep water: further out to more than 3,000 m, barely drilled.
A production sharing contract usually runs for 30 years. The oil company pays all exploration costs. If it finds something, it recovers its costs from part of the production (cost oil), and the rest (profit oil) is shared with the state. Royalty and income tax come on top. For new contracts under the Open-Door Offering these are a 6.25% royalty, 36% income tax and at most 80% of production after royalty for cost recovery. During exploration Staatsolie holds a "carried" interest (the partners pay) and in development it may pay and share up to 20%.
Each block has an operator: the company that runs the work, awards contracts and therefore buys locally. For a supplier the operator is the one to know; the other partners pay their share but rarely buy themselves.
All offshore blocks under contract
Position in October 2026, based on announcements by Staatsolie and the companies. Blocks returned earlier are part of the open acreage of the Open-Door Offering.
| Block | Operator | Partners | Water | Status and finds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Chevron 40% | POC 40%, QatarEnergy 20% | shallow, 30 to 60 m | Exploration. Korikori-1 drilled in late 2025 with the jack-up Noble Regina Allen; no commercial discovery announced. |
| 6 and 8 | TotalEnergies 40% | POC 40%, QatarEnergy 20% | shallow, 40 to 65 m | Exploration (contracts 2023). |
| 7 | Chevron 80% | POC 20% | shallow, west | Exploration (contract April 2022, 1,867 km²). |
| 9 | Petronas 30% | POC 30%, Chevron 20%, QatarEnergy 20% | shallow, up to 50 m | Signed 5 November 2025; first three years 3D seismic. About 50 km off Saramacca. |
| 10 | Chevron 30% | Petronas 30%, QatarEnergy 30%, POC 10% | shallow, up to 50 m | Signed 5 November 2025; first three years 3D seismic. |
| 14 and 15 | PetroChina | POC 30% | shallow, 50 to 150 m | Exploration (contracts September 2024). |
| 42 | Shell 33.3% | Chevron 66.7% (including the former Hess share) | deep | Exploration. |
| 48 | Petronas | current split not published | deep | Exploration. |
| 52 | Petronas 80% | POC 20% | deep | Sloanea gas field declared commercial (November 2025); also Roystonea, Fusaea, Caiman-1 (oil) and SAC-1 (gas). Investment decision planned, first gas 2030 at the earliest. |
| 53 | APA 45% | Petronas 30%, TotalEnergies 25% | deep | Baja-1 oil find (2022), close to GranMorgu. Most of the block has been relinquished. |
| 58 | TotalEnergies 40% | APA 40%, Staatsolie 20% (GranMorgu) | deep, 100 to 1,100 m | GranMorgu development, first oil 2028. Six finds since 2020. Four new exploration wells in 2027 to 2028. |
| 63 | Petronas | Staatsolie may take up to 20% after a find | deep to ultra-deep | Exploration (contract December 2023, Demerara round). |
| 64 | TotalEnergies 40% | QatarEnergy 30%, Petronas 30% | deep to ultra-deep | Macaw-1 drilled in 2025 with the Stena DrillMAX; no commercial discovery announced. |
| 65 | Shell 60% | QatarEnergy 40% | deep to ultra-deep | Araku Deep-1 (2025 to 2026): no commercially viable hydrocarbons. |
| 66 | Petronas 80% | POC 20% | deep, 1,000 to 2,200 m | Signed 17 June 2025, 3,390 km², borders Blocks 52, 53 and 58. Two exploration wells in the first phase. |
POC = Paradise Oil Company, a Staatsolie subsidiary. Percentages are participating interests in the contract. In Block 58 the 40/40/20 split applies to the GranMorgu development.
Block 58: GranMorgu and what else is there
TotalEnergies and APA made six finds in Block 58 between 2020 and 2022: Maka Central, Sapakara West, Kwaskwasi, Keskesi East, Sapakara South and Krabdagu. The last two are being developed through GranMorgu: one production vessel with up to 32 wells, first oil in 2028. The other finds contain a lot of gas and are still being evaluated. The production vessel is designed so that more fields can be tied in later. In 2027 and 2028 TotalEnergies, APA and Staatsolie will drill four new exploration wells around GranMorgu; in September 2026 Staatsolie's managing director Jagesar spoke openly of "a second FPSO in Block 58". Everything about the project on GranMorgu project.
Block 52: Petronas gas and a floating LNG plant
Petronas signed the Block 52 contract in 2013. ExxonMobil, long a 50% partner, withdrew in November 2024; since then Petronas holds 80% and Staatsolie (through POC) 20%. The first find, Sloanea-1 (late 2020), contained gas. After an appraisal well in 2024, Staatsolie approved the Sloanea field as a commercial field on 11 November 2025. More finds followed: in June and July 2026 Petronas announced that Caiman-1 (90 m of water) hit several oil-bearing layers, that SAC-1 found gas and that Roystonea-2 confirmed the Roystonea oil find. According to Petronas the finds in the block together hold more than 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent, and the company has drilled eight successful exploration wells in Suriname.
The development plan for Sloanea is based on gas wells, subsea installations and a floating LNG plant (FLNG) at sea, according to earlier reports about 120 km offshore in 450 m of water. The gas is liquefied there and exported by ship. Petronas must submit the plan to Staatsolie for approval; the investment decision was planned for the second half of 2026 and had not been announced on 26 October 2026. First gas: 2030 at the earliest. Whether any gas will come ashore for power or industry has not been decided.
For suppliers a positive decision means a second large construction and drilling project next to GranMorgu, with its own chain of contractors and similar demand for logistics and services from about 2027.
Block 53 and the other deepwater blocks
- Block 53 (APA 45%, Petronas 30%, TotalEnergies 25%): APA found oil in 2022 with the Baja-1 well, with 34 m of net oil pay, about 11.5 km from Krabdagu. Most of the block was returned in 2024; that area later became Block 66. TotalEnergies bought a 25% interest from Moeve in June 2025. Baja could later produce through GranMorgu's facilities.
- Blocks 63, 64 and 65 come from the Demerara round (contracts December 2023, 160 to 355 km offshore, 150 to 3,000 m of water). TotalEnergies drilled Macaw-1 in Block 64 in 2025, Shell drilled Araku Deep-1 in Block 65. Neither produced an announced commercial discovery.
- Block 66 (Petronas 80%, POC 20%): signed in June 2025, with a commitment to drill two exploration wells in the first phase.
- Block 42 (Shell operator, Chevron 66.7%) and Block 48 (Petronas) are older exploration blocks without a development.
Shallow water: close to shore
The shallow part lies closer to Paramaribo and Nickerie and is cheaper to explore. The 2020-2021 round produced Blocks 5 and 7 (Chevron) and Blocks 6 and 8 (TotalEnergies); the second round of 2023-2024 produced Blocks 14 and 15 (PetroChina, which entered Suriname with them). In November 2025 Blocks 9 and 10 off Saramacca followed, with Petronas and Chevron as operators. Chevron drilled the first well, Korikori-1 in Block 5, at the end of 2025 with a jack-up in about 40 m of water; no commercial discovery has been announced. Staatsolie itself plans additional 2D and 3D seismic surveys in the shallow area; the environmental impact study (ILACO) was presented to stakeholders on 12 October 2026.
For local businesses shallow water means shorter distances, smaller vessels and more room for Surinamese ports and shipping. Seismic campaigns mainly need supply, guard vessels and communication with fishermen.
The Open-Door Offering: the rest of the sea
On 24 November 2025 Staatsolie opened the Open-Door Offering: the open acreage (more than 70,000 km² in 5 sectors, 5 to 3,000 m of water, about 60% of Suriname's sea) is continuously available for two years. A qualified company chooses an area and proposes a work programme, either as a production sharing contract or as a study agreement of up to 24 months. This is how it works:
- Companies first qualify (technical, financial, documents, health, safety and environment).
- A proposal contains the area, a technical evaluation and a firm work programme (seismic, wells, signature bonus). At most 3,000 km² in Sectors 1 and 2, 6,000 km² in Sectors 3 and 4; Sector 5 (about 2,400 km²) is offered as a whole.
- Staatsolie publishes the area within 20 days. Other companies then have 90 days for a competing proposal. Submitting first gives no priority.
- Within 20 days after that period Staatsolie selects; a contract is signed within 90 days.
| Date | Sector | Proposals | Window for competing proposals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2026 | 4: DW West | 1 | closed (90 days) |
| 6 July 2026 | 3: Demerara | 2 | closed on 4 October 2026 |
| 7 July 2026 | 2: SHO East | 1 | closed on 5 October 2026 |
| 22 September 2026 | 1: SHO West | 1 | open until 21 December 2026, 10:00 |
Staatsolie does not name bidders until a contract is signed. The fiscal terms for new contracts: 6.25% royalty, 36% income tax, at most 80% cost recovery a year, profit oil under an R-factor formula. Staatsolie holds a carried interest of 20% during exploration (10% in Sector 4) and in Sector 5 may take over operatorship once production starts. New contracts mean new seismic and drilling campaigns, and so new demand for services onshore.
Onshore: Staatsolie in Saramacca and the refinery
The only oil Suriname produces today comes from land. In 1965 heavy oil was found in Saramacca; Staatsolie (founded in 1980) started production in the Tambaredjo field in 1982. Calcutta (in production since 2006) and Tambaredjo North-West followed. In 2025 Staatsolie produced 6.35 million barrels (2024: 6.41 million), about 17,400 barrels a day; the company aims for about 6 million barrels a year. The oil runs through a 55 km pipeline to the refinery at Tout Lui Faut (Wanica), which since its 2015 expansion can process 15,000 barrels a day into low-sulphur diesel and gasoline, fuel oil and bitumen. In 2025 the refinery made 3.15 million barrels of diesel and gasoline. The fuel is sold through subsidiary GOw2 and other distributors; see Fuel prices today.
Staatsolie's onshore operations have been a steady customer of Surinamese businesses for forty years: in 2025 Staatsolie bought USD 107 million locally. Supplying them builds the track record the offshore contractors ask for. See Staatsolie and Become an oil and gas supplier.
What each operator means for suppliers
| Operator | Current activity | Where the demand is |
|---|---|---|
| TotalEnergies | Building GranMorgu, drilling from late 2026, Block 58 exploration in 2027 to 2028, Blocks 6, 8 and 64 | Largest and longest demand: ports, storage, crew, catering, maintenance, staff, twenty years of production |
| Petronas | Block 52 gas development in preparation, exploration in 52, 63, 66, operator of Block 9 | With an investment decision: a second large construction and drilling wave; for now drilling campaigns and seismic |
| Chevron | Shallow water: Blocks 5, 7 and 10 | Shorter campaigns with jack-ups, supply from Paramaribo and possibly Nickerie |
| Shell | Blocks 42 and 65, after a dry well in 65 | Depends on a new drilling decision |
| APA | Partner in GranMorgu, operator of Block 53 | Mainly through TotalEnergies; directly if Baja is developed |
| PetroChina | Blocks 14 and 15, shallow | Seismic and possibly exploration wells |
| Staatsolie | Onshore production, refinery, power (SPCS), fuel (GOw2), shallow-water seismic | Ongoing: maintenance, construction, transport, IT, services; requests on its website and through SAP Ariba |
What to watch until 2030
- Petronas' investment decision for Sloanea and the choice of the FLNG builder
- The outcome of the five Open-Door proposals and new contracts in 2027
- The four exploration wells in Block 58 (2027 to 2028) and a possible second production vessel
- Drilling results in the shallow blocks (Chevron, TotalEnergies, PetroChina, Petronas)
- GranMorgu first oil in 2028 and first gas from Block 52 around 2030
- The Local Content Act (2027) and the savings fund for oil revenue. See Oil and gas law.
Terms such as PSC, FPSO and FLNG explained: Oil and gas glossary. Sector overview: Oil and gas.
Sources
- Staatsolie: Open-Door Offering (5 sectors, more than 70,000 km²)
- Staatsolie: Open-Door Instructions (24 November 2025)
- Staatsolie: Open-Door updates (proposals June to September 2026)
- Staatsolie: proposal Sector 1 SHO West, window to 21 December 2026
- Staatsolie: Sloanea commercial field (13 November 2025)
- Energies Media: Petronas targets FLNG investment decision in 2026
- The Edge Malaysia: Petronas, more than 1 billion boe in Block 52 (June 2026)
- Ocean Energy Resources: Caiman-1 oil find (July 2026)
- Brazil Energy Insight: Blocks 52, 53 and 66, ExxonMobil exit (January 2026)
- Offshore Technology: TotalEnergies 25% in Block 53, Baja-1 (June 2025)
- Staatsolie: contracts for Blocks 63, 64 and 65 (15 December 2023)
- Staatsolie and Petronas: Block 66 contract (17 June 2025)
- Staatsolie: contracts for Blocks 9 and 10 (5 November 2025)
- Staatsolie: PetroChina contracts for Blocks 14 and 15 (13 September 2024)
- Offshore Magazine: Block 7 contract with Chevron (April 2022)
- Brazil Energy Insight: Blocks 6 and 8 with TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy (May 2023)
- World Oil: Korikori-1 in Block 5 (October 2025)
- Chevron 2025 annual report (Form 10-K): interests in Blocks 5, 7 and 42
- Staatsolie: five exploration wells in 2025 (5 May 2025)
- Caribbean Energy Week: Araku Deep-1 not commercial (March 2026)
- TotalEnergies: four exploration wells in Block 58 (October 2026)
- Reuters via Pipeline & Gas Journal: Jagesar on a second FPSO (September 2026)
- Staatsolie: shallow offshore seismic survey, meeting 12 October 2026
- Staatsolie Sustainability Report 2025 (production, refinery, local purchasing)
- Staatsolie: 2025 results (15 May 2026)
- Oil & Gas Journal: expanded refinery, 15,000 barrels a day (January 2016)
Checked on 26 October 2026. General information, not investment advice. Block interests change through transfers and relinquishments; Staatsolie has the current position.
Frequently asked questions
How many oil blocks does Suriname have?
The sea is divided into numbered blocks. In October 2026 about sixteen blocks were under contract with oil companies; the open acreage of more than 70,000 km² is offered through Staatsolie's Open-Door Offering.
Which oil blocks already produce?
No offshore block yet. Only Staatsolie produces, onshore in Saramacca: 6.35 million barrels in 2025. GranMorgu in Block 58 starts producing in 2028.
What is happening in Block 52?
Petronas (80%) and Staatsolie (20%) are developing the Sloanea gas field, declared commercial in November 2025, with a floating LNG plant. The investment decision was planned for 2026; first gas in 2030 at the earliest.
What is Staatsolie's Open-Door Offering?
Since 24 November 2025 qualified companies can, for two years, choose an offshore area themselves and propose a work programme. Other companies then have 90 days to submit a competing proposal.
What is Paradise Oil Company?
Paradise Oil Company (POC) is a Staatsolie subsidiary that holds Staatsolie's interests in offshore blocks, usually 10 to 40% and up to 20% in developments.
What do oil companies pay Suriname?
For new contracts under the Open-Door Offering: a 6.25% royalty, 36% income tax and a share of profit oil under a formula. Staatsolie also shares in production as a partner.
Why does an oil block matter to my business?
Every drilling campaign and development buys in Suriname: port services, storage, transport, catering and staff. The block's operator awards those contracts; follow who drills where and register as a supplier.