Insightful Prognosis for Macaw-1 Exploration Well in Suriname

Disclaimer: This is my very own design and prognosis on 19th May, 2025.

As an exploration geologist I always wish to “ see “ a/the well being drilled “ in front of me.

For myself I find that this makes exploration geology much more interesting, tangible and insightful?

“ What are they looking for, where, how, what, why, how much do they strive to unveil “ etc.

Exploration wells for me have always been like “ Intensive Care Patients “, that you have to watch closely.

As I always used to participate in the design of exploration wells as chief exploration geologist, during my extended active career, by supplying critical subsurface data, I have ventured to make a prognosis for myself.

Of Macaw-1 exploration wells, by TotalEnergies in Block 46, offshore Suriname, indicated to spud on 19Th May, 2025 with the Stena DrillMAX drillship.

For this I have used the very scarce published data, by adding my own knowledge and private prognosis.

That I wish to share, to whom may be interested.

As usual, such data are never published in public and press, by the/any Operator of a/the well.

I always used to have the well prognosis and advance, accompanied by a 1:25:000 scale paper map of the prospect, pinned on my office wall.

That served as an old-fashion, old style, slow living discussion and musings platform and forum during drilling of the well.

Location: Offshore Suriname, Block 64
Operator: TotalEnergies
Spud Date: 19 May 2025
Water Depth: ~1,200 m
Estimated Well Duration: ~80 days

The Macaw-1 exploration well in Block 64 is a landmark venture into one of Suriname’s most promising deepwater areas.

Designed and executed by TotalEnergies and likely drilled by the Stena DrillMAX, the well targets (Lower?) Cretaceous reservoirs, with strategic inspiration from several high-impact discoveries and dry holes across the Guyana-Suriname Basin.

In companion posts I have published on the specifics of Stena DrillMAX drillship, why it was chosen for this job and the critical, added value adjustments made recently while stationed in Curaçao.

🌊 Casing Design Summary

The robust casing architecture anticipates pressure regimes and stratigraphic complexity:

• 36″ Conductor
• 20″ Surface Casing (~800–900 m)
• 13⅜” Intermediate (~2,000 m)
• 9⅝” Production (~3,200 m)
• 7″ or 7⅝” Liner to TD (~4,500 m)

🗓️ Estimated Drilling Timeline & Casing Depths

Date	Activity	Approx. Depth	Comments
19 May 2025	Spud – 36″ Conductor installed	~100 m	Seafloor sediments and marine clays
~24 May 2025	Drill 20″ Surface Section	~800–900 m	Set surface casing through marine shales, possible Paleogene
~2 June 2025	Drill 17½” section	To ~2,000 m	Set 13⅜” casing, entering Cenomanian–Turonian shale section
~12 June 2025	Drill 12¼” section	To ~3,200 m	Transition into Albian-Aptian reservoirs
~25 June 2025	Run 9⅝” casing	~3,200–3,300 m	Porous sands or carbonates; potential oil zones
~10 July 2025	Drill 8½” section	To TD ~4,500 m	Deeper Aptian syn-rift, tight carbonates or volcanoclastics
~7 August 2025	Logging & Evaluation	~4,500 m	Wireline logs, core samples, pressure tests

🧭 Stratigraphy & Regional Analogs

Macaw-1 is expected to intersect a complex stratigraphy similar to that seen in both discoveries and dry holes across the basin:

• Upper Tertiary–Paleogene Shales: Marine clays with overpressured zones – similar to initial sections in Liza-1.
• Cenomanian–Turonian: Possible source rocks and seals, as in Hammerhead-1 and Araku-1.
• Albian–Aptian Reservoirs: Main target zone, analog to Liza-1 and Ranger-1, both successful discoveries by ExxonMobil.
• Pre-Albian Syn-Rift: Low porosity carbonates or volcaniclastic rocks. Dry wells like Goliath North-1 encountered such lithologies with limited reservoir quality.

These analogs provided critical calibration for seismic interpretation and casing depth selection:

• Liza-1: First commercial discovery in Guyana; Aptian-age fan sandstones below thick marine shale seal
• Ranger-1: Carbonate build-up discovery; key for identifying stratigraphic traps
• Goliath North-1: Dry hole due to lack of structural closure in Upper Cretaceous
• Araku-1: Deep target with oil shows in porcellanite; source rocks present but no effective trap

🛠️ Operational Significance

Drilled by the Stena DrillMAX and managed by TotalEnergies, Macaw-1 is the first test of Block 64’s deepwater prospectivity. The results could validate an entirely new petroleum system segment and catalyze further investment. Staatsolie’s ambitions to evolve into a regional IOC may well hinge on the success of this well.

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Author: Marcel Chin-A-Lien – Petroleum & Energy Advisor
Posted: 24 May 2025 | Updated with casing timeline and analog wells

Enjoy.

Kind regards.

Marcel Chin-A-Lien

Petroleum and Energy Advisor

48 Years of Global, in-depth expertise, knowhow and insights.

That have generated transformative, multi billion giant fields discoveries, iconic first capitalistic new ventures in the USSR, bid rounds, added value and long term cash flow generating offshore exploration and production activities on Dutch North Sea, M&A, PSC designs, Contract negotiations.

Combined with a cross & trans discipline background of 4 petroleum post grad degrees, that fuse technical, business, commercial and management disciplines, accompanied by fluency in 7 languages in a variety of geographical, socio-cultural and business landscapes. 

“ Exploration & Production integrated with Business & Commercial Development and Critical Insights “

Drs – Petroleum Geology
Engineering Geologist – Petroleum Geology

Executive MBA International Business – Petroleum – M&A
MSc International Management – Petroleum

Energy Negotiator Association of International Negotiators (AIEN)

Certified Petroleum Geologist # 5201 – American Association Petroleum Geologists – Gold standard Certification
Chartered European Geologist # 92    – European Federation of Geologists – Gold standard Certification

Cambridge Award  “ 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 20th Century ”, UK – Gold standard Award
Paris Awards  “ Innovative New Business Projects “, GDF-Suez, France – Two Gold standard Awards, Paris, 2003.

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