Written by Marcel Chin-A-Lien, Petroleum and Energy Advisor. 15th May 2025.

Congratulations to Staatsolie and Suriname! Fersteri, wowww.

On May 14, 2025, Staatsolie secured a transformative US$ 1.6 billion loan from 18 local, regional, and international financial institutions, enabling their strategic 20% participation in the GranMorgu Project in Block 58.

This unprecedented financial commitment represents far more than a transaction—it embodies a resounding vote of confidence from global capital markets in Suriname’s energy sector and the nation’s resilient, luminous future.

A Geo-Memory Anecdote: Dreams Preceding Reality

With profound humility, I find myself reflecting on a pivotal moment from April 2010, when I had the privilege of serving as a consultant for offshore exploration within Staatsolie’s Petroleum Contracts (PC) department.

It was during this period that we definitively secured and safeguarded the upgraded 20% farm-in option within Staatsolie’s Model PSC—a decision that would prove prophetic fifteen years later.

I vividly recall a conversation with S.C.Y., a brilliant economist colleague whose intellect matched that of all our exceptional peers in the PC department. With characteristic hesitancy, tinged with both concern and skepticism, she posed a question that would resonate through the years:

“But Marcel, please listen mi boi, let’s be honest… Will Staatsolie and Suriname ever have such large amounts of money and savings to participate, similar to the IOCs?”

My response came without hesitation: “Absolutely. Banks will line up—those reserves are their comfort zone. Just wait and see. All you have to do is first dream them up, and subsequently find those barrels.”

This confidence wasn’t born from mere optimism but from experience. Having previously helped orchestrate a US$ 2 billion bid proposal on a giant field, I understood the magnetic pull that proven reserves exert on international finance.

From Vision to Validation

Fast forward fifteen years to 2025, and that conversation takes on prophetic dimensions.

The confidence expressed in that humble office in 2010 has been magnificently validated.

What seemed like an audacious dream to some has materialized into elegant reality—simple, strategic, and precisely on track toward a meticulously planned successful future.

Switi Sranan is indeed rocketing sky high, embodying what I’ve come to call the “Chronicle of a Switi Sranan Lullaby Foretold.”

A Testament to Dedicated Excellence

This milestone stands as eloquent testimony to a fundamental truth: dedicated work infused with knowledge, vision, and passion invariably bears fruit.

To all former colleagues from the PC department—uiteraard, alle voormaligen van PC—this achievement reflects the collective wisdom, strategic foresight, and unwavering commitment that characterized our shared endeavors.

Fersteri.

The seeds planted with careful consideration and nurtured with expertise have blossomed into this historic achievement, positioning Suriname as a formidable player in the global energy landscape.

Looking Forward

As we celebrate this landmark achievement, we witness more than financial engineering—we observe the materialization of strategic vision, the validation of collective expertise, and the dawn of Suriname’s energy renaissance.

The GranMorgu Project represents not just participation in an offshore development, but participation in the future itself.

The journey from that April 2010 conversation to this May 2025 triumph encapsulates the power of believing in possibilities before they become probabilities, of having the courage to dream in barrels and the wisdom to transform those dreams into reservoirs of national prosperity.

Congratulations once again to Staatsolie and Suriname. The future has never looked brighter.

---

About the Author:

Marcel Chin-A-Lien
Senior Energy Advisor & Petroleum Contracts Specialist
Former Exploration Consultant, Staatsolie Petroleum Contracts Department
Strategic Energy Development & International Finance

With over two decades of experience in petroleum contract negotiations, offshore exploration strategy, and energy project finance, Marcel has contributed to major energy developments across multiple jurisdictions. His expertise spans strategic petroleum contract design, international project financing, and energy sector transformation initiatives.

Contact: marcelchinalien@gmail.com
Professional Focus: Petroleum Exploration and Production, Strategic Energy Advisory, Petroleum Contracts, International Energy.