Dutch offshore services company Fugro has secured a contract from Malaysian oil firm Petronas to provide positioning services for an exploration programme in the Guyana-Suriname Basin.
The contract has been awarded by Petronas subsidiary Petronas Suriname Exploration & Production (PSEPBV). Fugro will provide services in block 52, off the coast of Suriname’s capital city Paramaribo.
Block 52 covers an area of 4,749km² in the Suriname-Guyana basin. Water depths in the block range from 50m to 1,100m. PSEPBV operates block 52 with a 50% equity while ExxonMobil holds the remaining 50%.
Fugro Caribbean and Pacific South America Operations director Brian Hottman said: “Our 40 years of geo-data knowledge and expertise in the Caribbean and Pacific South American region includes more than 15 years of operational experience in Suriname and 20 years in Trinidad and Tobago.
“We are pleased to support PSEPBV in their operations through this landmark programme and will continue to work diligently for them, as we have for our other clients in the region, to ensure careful progress on critical energy and infrastructure goals during these challenging times.”
Under the two-year contract, Fugro’s Starfix precise positioning solution will help ensure safe and efficient transit, anchoring and drilling activities for the campaign’s semi-submersible rig and support vessels.
According to Fugro, work on the latest contract has already started. The services are being executed under a stringent Covid-19 environment and have posed many operational challenges for Fugro due to the pandemic.
ExxonMobil subsidiary ExxonMobil Exploration and PSEPBV recently discovered hydrocarbons in Block 52. Earlier this month, Fugro opened a remote operations centre (ROC) in the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi to ensure delivery of remote and autonomous solutions.
