Petronas has reinforced its position in Suriname’s prolific offshore Block 52 with a series of successful discoveries since 2020 – Sloanea-1, Roystonea-1, and Fusaea-1-along the Upper Cretaceous Golden Lane trend. Roystonea and Fusaea alone hold estimated recoverable resources nearing 400 million barrels, underscoring the block’s potential as a major hydrocarbon hub.
The Malaysian energy giant is set to further unlock this potential in 2025 with a three-well drilling campaign that will last until 2026: Kiskadee-1, Roystonea-2, and Caiman-1. The first two wells, located less than 5 km south of Roystonea-1, aim to confirm the discovery’s extension and test a potential separate closure. Meanwhile, Caiman-1 represents a bold step targeting an updip position 25 km south of Roystonea. Notably, this well lies near the legacy West Tapir-1, drilled in 2008 by Noble and Repsol, which never reached the Cretaceous sequence. A success here could open the shallower section of the Golden Lane, expanding Petronas’ exploration potential in the South section of Block 52. By way of protection acreage, Petronas have just been awarded Block 66 PSC immediately north of this prolific Block 52.
Recent discoveries have revealed significant gas potential, positioning Petronas to pursue an integrated development strategy that could lead to a standalone FLNG project. This effort is further bolstered by Suriname’s 10-year tax incentive and industry projections suggesting the country’s first gas project could materialize by 2031.
