KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas has made its first discovery of hydrocarbon in Suriname, with the successful drilling of an exploration well in a 4,749 sq km area north of the country’s capital.
Its subsidiary, Petronas Suriname E&P BV (PSEPBV), is the operator of the area called Block 52 and holds a 50% interest together with ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Suriname BV, which holds the remaining 50%.
“We are pleased with the positive results of the well. It will provide the drive for Petronas to continue exploring in Suriname, which is one of our focus basins in the Americas.
“We look forward to progressing towards delivering clean and reliable energy to the market,” said Petronas vice-president of exploration (Upstream), Emeliana Rice-Oxley, in a statement.
Block 52, north of the coast of Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital city, is situated within the prospective Suriname-Guyana basin, where several major hydrocarbon discoveries have been made.
Hydrocarbons can be used to produce clean energy because when they are burnt, the only by-product is water.
Rice-Oxley said further evaluation is being undertaken to determine the full extent of the discovery.
In addition to Block 52, PSEPBV holds a 100% participating interest and operatorship in Block 48, and a 30% non-operated participating interest in Block 53.