Suriname steps out of the shadows

Latin American nation becomes latest upstream hotspot on further exploration success

A second major oil discovery offshore Suriname has reinforced hopes that the country can emulate the upstream successes of neighbouring Guyana, even as economic gloom has descended across much of the global energy sector in recent weeks. Total, together with its US independent partner Apache, announced on 2 April a significant find at their Sapakura prospect, not far from the Guyana maritime border. The discovery was the consortium’s second in block 58 following drilling in early January at the Maka prospect. The results from both, while still preliminary, suggest extensive offshore reserves and could attract a wave of further exploration. “The presence of hydrocarbons in place in stacked ta