石油巨头重金押注圭亚那-苏里南盆地

圭亚那-苏里南盆地是地球上迄今为止最令人振奋的石油前沿之一  

石油巨头们正争相从圭亚那-苏里南盆地的巨大潜力中分一杯羹  

圭亚那已经出现了巨大的经济意外之财，邻国苏里南也在寻求从中获利 

据油价网11月14日报道，20世纪60年代至80年代，在圭亚那-苏里南盆地钻了一系列干井后，圭亚那和苏里南的近海地区被全球能源公司忽视了。2015年，埃克森美孚公司在圭亚那近海面积达660万英亩的斯塔布鲁克区块的丽莎油田的重要石油发现重新点燃了石油巨头们的兴趣。 

随后，斯塔布鲁克区块又获得了30多个世界级的石油发现，这表明圭亚那-苏里南盆地的可采油气资源量比美国地质调查局以前估计的要多。美国地质勘探局此前将这个沉积盆地评为世界上第二大最有潜力的海上盆地，认为它与非洲西海岸近海，特别是世界一流的朱比利油田所在塔诺盆地的地质相似。 

圭亚那巨大的石油繁荣势头持续增长，给圭亚那带来了巨大的经济意外之财，邻国苏里南的政府对迟迟未能开发这个贫困国家领海内的巨大油气资源感到焦虑和愤怒。 苏里南有望成为世界上最炙手可热的近海石油产区之一。

自2020年初以来，苏里南海上获得了许多石油发现。2020年1月初，美国阿帕奇公司和拥有50%股份的合作伙伴法国道达尔能源公司在苏里南海上第58号区块（区块58）的Maka Central-1井进行了首个勘探钻井作业，Maka Central-1井在钻进过程中发现了164英尺（50米）厚的轻质原油和凝析油远景区。投资银行摩根士丹利宣布，区块58可能拥有65亿桶可采石油资源，区块58据信拥有穿过附近斯塔布鲁克区块的同一条石油通路。截至今年年初，阿帕奇公司和道达尔能源公司在区块58获得了5个商业石油发现。合作伙伴时下正在区块58中钻取Awari远景构造，后者位于Maka Central-1井首个发现的北部大约17英里处。

2020年12月，马来西亚国家石油公司宣布，该公司和拥有50%股份的合作伙伴埃克森美孚公司在苏里南近海第52号区块（区块52）钻探的Sloanea-1勘探井发现了碳氢化合物。马来西亚国家石油公司继续评估这个发现的潜力，以及是否具有商业开发可行性。马来西亚国家石油公司在区块48拥有100%的股份，同时也是区块48的运营商，在苏里南海上区块53拥有30%的股份。今年8月下旬，阿帕奇公司宣布在区块53的Baja-1勘探井首次发现石油，该区块毗邻区块58和区块52。阿帕奇公司在区块53持有45%的股份，马来西亚国家石油公司持有30%的股份，西班牙能源公司CEPSA持有25%的股份。阿帕奇公司请求苏里南国家石油公司和苏里南油气监管机构将产量分成合同所允许的勘探期限延长一年。如果获得批准，阿帕奇公司将有更多的时间进行评估钻井和其他勘探活动，以确定发现的规模和范围。 

今年10月，全球能源巨头壳牌公司宣布部署在区块42的Zanderji-1井发现了石油。壳牌公司持有该区块33.3%的股份，担任该区块的运营商，而合作伙伴赫斯公司和雪佛龙公司各持有三分之一的股份。赫斯公司表示，合作伙伴目前正在对该发现进行评估，以确定工作石油系统是否具有商业开发的价值。区块42位于苏里南近海区块58和53的北部，靠近圭亚那近海高产的斯塔布鲁克区块。苏里南近海最新发现的碳氢化合物突显出，这个前荷兰殖民地的领海内蕴藏着巨大的潜在石油财富。

位于帕拉马里博的苏里南政府正急切地寻求从全球能源公司吸引更多的投资，以勘探和开发苏里南近海的油气资源， 这包括确立一些能源行业最慷慨的产量分成合同(PSC)。PSC的合同期限为30年，比其他拉美国家提供的同等合同多出10年，为石油公司提供了相当长的时间来成功开发和开采任何已发现的碳氢化合物。为了急切吸引本国需要的外国能源投资，苏里南还制定了6.25%的低矿区使用费。尽管这一矿区使用费高于圭亚那政府为埃克森美孚公司牵头的国际财团开发斯塔布鲁克区块制定的2%的矿区使用费，但这也是拉丁美洲最低的矿区使用费之一。阿根廷的石油矿区使用费相当于井口产量的12%。在巴西，对所产石油征收15%的矿区使用费，而哥伦比亚是8%～25%，厄瓜多尔是12.5%～18.5%。 

苏里南迄今为止发现的原油都是轻质到中质含硫量低的原油，这一事实放大了苏里南近海原油的吸引力。这意味着它更便宜、更容易提炼成高质量的燃料，而且与委内瑞拉、哥伦比亚和厄瓜多尔生产的更重、含硫量更高的原油相比，提取它的碳成本更低。据估计，苏里南项目的盈亏平衡价格为每桶40美元的布伦特原油，随着开发力度的加大，以及重要基础设施的到位，这个价格有望进一步下跌。由于这些原因，苏里南近海对国际能源公司来说是一个有吸引力的投资管辖区域，特别是考虑到许多拉丁美洲国家的盈亏平衡价格要高得多。  

根据苏里南国家石油公司（Staatsolie）公布的数据，苏里南近海拥有高达300亿桶的可采油当量资源。Staatsolie和行业监管机构最近启动了2022/2023年新一轮德梅拉拉招标，招标将在2023年5月31日结束。德梅拉拉招标包括6个区块（区块63到区块68），位于苏里南近海以及位于已发现石油的深水区块的东北部。

如果苏里南能够适当地开发这一巨大的油气潜力，这将为这个大约60万人口的极度贫困的南美国家带来巨大的经济意外之财。要实现这一目标，还需要克服许多障碍。最直接的障碍是阿帕奇公司和道达尔能源公司决定推迟开发区块58的财务投资决策，原因是地震数据和钻井数据之间存在异常现象。 

李峻 编译自 油价网

原文如下：

Oil Majors Are Betting Big On Suriname

·     The Guyana-Suriname Basin is one of the most exciting oil frontiers on the planet.

·     Oil majors are scrambling to get in on both the basin’s massive potential. 

·     Guyana has already seen a tremendous economic windfall, and neighboring Suriname is looking to cash in as well.

After a series of dry wells were drilled in the Guyana-Suriname Basin from the 1960s through to the 1980s, offshore Guyana and Suriname were ignored by global energy companies. Interest was reignited by ExxonMobil’s discovery of the Liza oilfield in the 6.6-million-acre Stabroek Block offshore Guyana in 2015. That was followed by a swathe of over 30 world-class discoveries in the block, indicating the basin holds more recoverable hydrocarbon resources than the U.S. Geological Survey estimated. The USGS previously rated the sedimentary formation as the world’s second most prospective offshore basin, with it believed to share geology with offshore West Coast Africa, notably the Tano Basin, where the world-class Jubilee oilfield is located. Guyana’s massive oil boom, which keeps gaining momentum and delivering a tremendous economic windfall, sees the government in neighboring Suriname chafing at the bit to exploit the vast hydrocarbon wealth thought to exist in the impoverished country’s territorial waters. Suriname is poised to become one of the world's hottest offshore oil frontiers.

Since early 2020 there have been a number of oil discoveries in offshore Suriname. The first in offshore Suriname Block 58 was made by Apache and 50% partner TotalEnergies in early January 2020 at the Maka Central-1 well, which found 164 feet or 50 meters of light oil and gas condensate play. The optimism surrounding the first discovery in Block 58 saw investment bank Morgan Stanley announce that the block could contain 6.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources, with it believed to contain the same petroleum fairway running through the nearby Stabroek Block. By early 2022 Apache and TotalEnergies had made five commercial oil discoveries in Block 58. The partners are drilling the Awari prospect in Block 58, which is roughly 17 miles north of the first discovery in the block at the Maka Central-1 well.

In December 2020, Malaysia’s state-controlled oil company Petronas, which is the operator, announced that it and 50% partner Exxon had discovered hydrocarbons at the Sloanea-1 exploration well drilled in Block 52 offshore Suriname. Malaysia’s national oil company continues to evaluate the potential of the discovery and whether it is commercially viable to exploit. Petronas holds a 100% interest in Block 48, where it is also the operator and a 30% stake in Block 53 offshore Suriname. In late-August 2022, Apache announced the first oil discovery in Block 53, which is adjacent to Blocks 58 and 52, at the Baja-1 exploration well. Apache, which holds a 45% interest in Block 53, is the operator with the remaining 25%, after accounting for Petronas’ 30% stake, being held by Spanish energy company CEPSA. Apache has requested a one-year extension to the exploration period allowed under the production sharing contract from Staatsolie Suriname’s national oil company and hydrocarbon regulator. If approved, that will provide Apache with the additional time required to conduct appraisal drilling and other exploration activities to determine the size and scope of the discovery.

Global energy supermajor Shell, in October 2022, announced the discovery of oil at the Zanderji-1 well in Block 42. Shell which holds a 33.3% interest in the block, is the operator, while partners Hess and Chevron have a one-third interest each. According to partner Hess, the discovery is currently being evaluated to determine whether the working petroleum system found is commercially viable to exploit. Block 42 is located to the north of offshore Suriname Blocks 58 and 53 while being close to the prolific Stabroek Block in offshore Guyana. This latest hydrocarbon discovery in offshore Suriname underscores the considerable potential oil wealth that exists in the former Dutch colony’s territorial waters.

The national government in Paramaribo is feverishly seeking to attract further investment from the global energy companies needed to explore and develop offshore Suriname. This includes establishing some of the energy industry’s most generous production sharing contracts or PSCs. The 30-year PSCs, which are up to 10 years longer than equivalent contracts offered by other Latin American countries, provide oil companies with considerable time to successfully develop and exploit any hydrocarbon discoveries made. Paramaribo has also established a low royalty rate of 6.25% in order to attract urgently needed foreign energy investment. That rate, while higher than the 2% put in place by Guyana’s government for the Exxon-led consortium exploiting the Stabroek Block, is among the lowest in Latin America. Oil royalties in Argentina amount to 12% of wellhead production. In Brazil, a 15% royalty is levied on the value of the oil produced, while they from 8% to 25% in Colombia and 12.5% to 18.5% in Ecuador.

The appeal of offshore Suriname is amplified by the fact that the oil discovered to date has been light to medium with low sulfur content. That means it is cheaper and easier to refine into high-quality fuels, and there is a low carbon cost associated with its extraction compared to the heavier sourer oil grades produced in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. Projects in Suriname have an estimated breakeven price of $40 per barrel Brent, which is expected to fall further as development ramps up, and vital infrastructure is put in place. For these reasons, offshore Suriname is an appealing investment jurisdiction for international energy companies, particularly when it is considered that many Latin American countries have far higher breakeven prices.

According to Staatsolie, data is has obtained points to offshore Suriname containing up to 30 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent resources. National oil company and industry regulator Staatsolie recently launched the 2022/2023 Demerara Bid Round with bids closing on 31 May 2023. This is comprised of six blocks, 63 to 68, in offshore Suriname located to the northeast of the existing deep-water blocks where discoveries have been made.

If Paramaribo can appropriately exploit that considerable hydrocarbon potential, it will deliver a significant economic windfall for the deeply impoverished South American country of roughly 600,000 people. For that to occur, many obstacles need to be overcome. The most immediate being Apache and TotalEnergies decision to delay making a financial investment decision for exploiting Block 58 because of anomalies between seismic and drilling data.