The Maersk Developer. Photo courtesy Maersk Drilling.
PARAMARIBO--Drilling for oil off Suriname’s shore is set to commence in the third quarter of this year, it has been reported. Malaysian state-run oil giant Petronas has announced that it will start a drilling campaign for the Sloanea-1 well, located in an area off the coast where earlier this year “significant” offshore oil finds were reported.
The drilling will be conducted by Denmark-based drilling rig operator Maersk Drilling, that is currently directing its Maersk Developer semi-submersible to Suriname to drill the exploration well off Suriname. It is the first time this type of rig will operate offshore Suriname. The drilling contract is valued at approximately US $20.4 million.
Trinidad and Tobago-based Ramps Logistics was hired by Petronas to provide drilling services; the supply vessels will move all pipe, casing, drilling fluid, cement and other tools out of Trinidad to the rig offshore Suriname. Ramps Logistics will also provide logistical services such as clearance and permits for all vessels, customs brokerage, immigration and other personnel logistics, as well as a range of third party services including fuelling, cargo carrying units (CCUs) and waste disposal in both Trinidad and Suriname.
The oil industry development comes at a welcome time for Suriname, which is battling an ongoing economic crisis. State oil company Staatsolie has been entering into production-sharing agreements with multinationals since 2004, that have been showing interest in prospects off the South American coast. The oil finds in January and February this year, estimated to hold more than six million barrels of oil, had ignited an immediate buzz. The announcement that drilling would start later this year came just one day after a new government was sworn in with an uphill task at hand.
Income from the oil industry will help plug the country’s economy that just recently faced downgrading by international reviewers Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.
