LatAmOil: Suriname launches Shallow Offshore 2 Bid Round

Staatsolie Hydrocarbon Institute (SHI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suriname’s national oil company (NOC) Staatsolie, announced a new licensing round covering 11 new potentially hydrocarbon-bearing offshore blocks on November 7. In a statement, SHI said it would be accepting bids until May 31, 2024.

According to the statement, the Staatsolie subsidiary will open a data room to provide technical information to bidders on December 18. It will make all relevant information available on its website and hopes to announce the top bidders in June 2024.

SHI named the blocks included in the SHO2 auctions as Blocks 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. The sites cover a combined area of 34,520 square km and include some sections of the offshore zone that have never previously been licenced.

Most of this acreage lies to the south and east of the deepwater discoveries made previously offshore Suriname. It is in nearshore and shallow-water offshore areas in water depths of up to 150 metres.