Suriname’s state-run energy company Staatsolie has opened up bidding for 11 offshore areas in the country, according to a statement made on the company’s website. Staatsolie Hydrocarbon Institute N.V. SHI announced on Tuesday a round of competitive bidding for 11 new offshore blocks known as SHO 2 Bid Round 2023-2024. The blocks are in nearshore to shallow areas, with water depths up to 150 meters. The area up for grabs lies south of the recent deepwater discoveries that were made in Block 58.
In September, TotalEnergies said it would kick off a $9 billion project on two sites that could year as much as 700 million barrels—or as much as 200,000 barrels per day, with production estimated to begin late 2028. More recently, Malaysia’s Petronas discovered several oil-bearing layers in the exploration well in Suriname’s Block 52 off its coast, Staatsolie said last week.