Suriname plays exploration catch-up

After years of drilling letdowns, the small Latin American nation is finally starting to prove its offshore potential

Suriname’s reputation as a global upstream hotspot is again gaining momentum following a fifth major oil discovery. In mid-January, US independent Apache added a fourth find in block 58 at its Keskesi East prospect, 12 months after announcing the country’s first ever offshore discovery.     The region’s high-grade crude, with an estimated breakeven of $45-46/bl, makes it one of the more attractive and profitable frontier basins in the world. As a result, exploration has taken off over the past year and shows no sign of slowing.   Around 50 drilling prospects have been identified in block 58 alone. French major Total assumed operatorship of the block in January and showcased its exploration i