Jan. 29 (Reuters) French Finance Minister Roland Lescure called a draft law proposing to allow offshore oil and gas exploration in its overseas territories "anachronistic" during a debate in the country's Senate on Thursday. In a world first, France banned new oil and gas exploration and production licenses in 2017, hoping other nations would follow suit. But energy security... Continue Reading →
Guyana rigs extended to 2029 as Noble secures US$1.3B in new contracts
Jan. 29 (oilnow.gy) Drilling activity offshore Guyana has been extended through 2029 after ExxonMobil awarded Noble Corporation plc additional rig years under its Commercial Enabling Agreement. The award applies evenly across four drillships operating in Guyana — Noble Sam Croft, Noble Don Taylor, Noble Tom Madden and Noble Bob Douglas — and is part of a broader... Continue Reading →
Global Upstream Capex Set To Fall Again In 2026 Amid Low Oil Prices
Jan. 13 (oilprice.com) Last year, upstream oil investment was projected to have declined 2.5% Y/Y to $420 billion after low oil prices put pressure on producers and slowed expansion plans. Companies across the industry continued to prioritize profitability, free cash flow, and debt reduction over aggressive production growth, a trend reinforced by macro uncertainty. The decline was... Continue Reading →
Bourbon Completes Financial Overhaul Under New Ownership
Jan. 4 (OE) French offshore marine services company Bourbon has completed a financial and capital restructuring, with Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP and Fortress Investment Group becoming its majority shareholders. The restructuring marks the start of a new strategic phase aimed at improving profitability, enhancing organizational efficiency, and expanding market presence. Approved in July 2025... Continue Reading →
Suriname’s Oil Dreams Collide With Geological Reality
Jan. 3 (oilprice.com) Suriname’s government, in the capital Paramaribo, has been hungrily eyeing neighboring Guyana’s massive world-class oil boom since before the 2020 pandemic. Both impoverished South American nations of less than one million share the Guyana Suriname Basin. The offshore basin is delivering an oil boom that is exceeding all expectations, making Guyana, based... Continue Reading →
Petronas Drills First of Four Wells in Block Offshore Suriname
Dec. 29 (OE) Petronas has completed drilling of the Caiman-1 exploration well in Block 52 offshore Suriname, marking the first well in its four-well 2025–2026 drilling campaign in the block. The Caiman-1 well was spudded on July 21, 2025 and safely plugged and abandoned on December 6, 2025. The well delivered encouraging results and represents... Continue Reading →
Suriname’s Gas-to-Shore Vision: What the Sloanea breakthrough really unlocks
Dec. 9 (oilnow.gy) Suriname’s long-discussed gas-to-shore ambitions are gaining new momentum following PETRONAS’ recent declaration of commerciality for the Sloanea field in Block 52. The Sloanea-1 discovery, drilled in 2020, is now confirmed as a commercially viable gas field following appraisal work and technical studies carried out over the past two years. PETRONAS holds an 80... Continue Reading →
Suriname’s Long-Awaited Oil Boom Finally Takes Shape
Nov. 28 (oilprice.com) After the discovery of oil in Suriname’s territorial waters in January 2020, the government in the capital Paramaribo pitched its hopes on an oil boom matching that of neighboring Guyana. You see, decades of economic mismanagement, excessive spending, and corruption wreaked havoc on the former Dutch colony’s economy. Over the last decade, gross... Continue Reading →
Suriname puts 60% of offshore basin on offer in new Staatsolie open-door programme
Nov. 24 (oilnow.gy) Staatsolie launched its new Open-Door Offering this morning, creating new opportunities for exploration and production companies to enter the Suriname-Guyana Basin. The initiative was formally announced by Managing Director Annand Jagesar, who stated, “This initiative opens new opportunities for exploration and production companies and aims to maintain a high level of exploration activities offshore... Continue Reading →
Suriname Approves Petronas’ Commercial Gas Discovery
Nov. 13 (Reuters) Suriname's Staatsolie has approved the commercial declaration of the Sloanea gas discovery by Malaysia's Petronas at one of the country's most promising offshore areas, Block 52, the state-run company said on Thursday. The declaration follows a production sharing contract signed in 2013 to explore for oil and gas in the block, three... Continue Reading →