Petronas, Staatsolie declare Suriname’s Sloanea field commercial

PARAMARIBO, November 14, 2025 – Petronas Suriname E&P and Suriname’s national oil and gas company Staatsolie have declared the commerciality of the Sloanea field in Block 52 offshore Suriname, the companies announced on Friday.

The declaration confirms that the project can advance from discovery to development, subject to reaching a positive FID, expected in H2 2026. Petronas and Staatsolie signed the PSC for block 52 in 2013, and the block has since yielded three discoveries.

In 2020, the Sloanea-1 exploration well encountered a gas-bearing reservoir. In 2024, following an evaluation of monetisation options that resulted in a gas addendum to the PSC, Petronas drilled the Sloanea-2 appraisal well to assess the reservoir’s dimensions and carry out well testing. The well confirmed the presence of recoverable resources, leading to the declaration of commerciality.

“The declaration of commerciality of Sloanea-1 affirms the field’s economic feasibility towards its development and commercialisation. This milestone underscores the robust collaboration and mutual trust between Petronas and Staatsolie,” said Petronas vice-president of international assets of upstream Mohd Redhani Abdul Rahman.

Development will include gas development wells, subsea infrastructure and the deployment of an FLNG vessel. The companies are projecting first gas in 2030.

Block 52 is operated by Petronas with an 80% participating interest, and the remaining 20% is held by Staatsolie subsidiary Paradise Oil Company. Petronas owns stakes in seven other offshore blocks in Suriname, namely blocks 9, 10, 48, 53, 63, 64 and 66.

Photo courtesy of Staatsolie

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