PARAMARIBO, Suriname, March 16, 2026
While deepwater discoveries have dominated the Caribbean’s upstream narrative, shallow-water blocks across Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago are emerging as a parallel opportunity as operators seek lower-cost exploration prospects in the expanding Guyana–Suriname Basin. Governments across the region are advancing licensing frameworks, seismic programs and drilling campaigns aimed at unlocking offshore resources closer to shore, while improved geological data and drilling technology are strengthening the commercial case for shallow-water development.
These opportunities will be in focus during a dedicated technical workshop – “Operational Challenges in Shallow Water Drilling” – at Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2026. The session will focus on mitigating operational risk while leveraging new technologies to optimize cost and performance across the region’s mature and emerging basins.
Guyana Expands Beyond Deepwater Core
Guyana’s global oil story has been dominated by the deepwater Stabroek Block, but policymakers are increasingly focused on expanding exploration into adjacent shallow-water acreage. Following its offshore licensing round, the government finalized agreements for multiple shallow-water blocks under a standardized production sharing framework designed to attract a broader range of operators.
One example is the S7 block, awarded to Cybele Energy, covering approximately 200 square-kilometers offshore. The fiscal terms – 10% royalty, a 10% corporate tax and a cost-recovery cap – aim to balance investor incentives with higher state revenue, while lowering barriers to entry for mid-size explorers.
Geological studies across Guyana’s shallow-water acreage have identified roughly 90 exploration leads across 11 blocks, containing an estimated 90 billion barrels of oil in place, suggesting the petroleum system extends well beyond the basin’s deepwater fairway.
For investors, the appeal is straightforward: shallower wells typically require smaller capital commitments and shorter development timelines, offering an entry point into one of the world’s most prolific emerging hydrocarbon provinces.
Suriname’s Offshore Momentum Builds
Just across the maritime border, Suriname is experiencing similar momentum. In late 2025, Chevron and Petronas secured exploration rights for shallow offshore Blocks 9 and 10 alongside QatarEnergy and the state-backed Paradise Oil Company, marking one of the largest recent commitments to Suriname’s upstream sector.
Meanwhile, Chevron recently drilled the Korikori-1 exploration well in Block 5 in water depths of roughly 40 meters – demonstrating continued confidence in the shallow-water potential of the basin. These exploration activities complement major deepwater developments such as the $10.5 billion GranMorgu project led by TotalEnergies, which is moving toward production later this decade and strengthening the broader investment case for the basin.
The result is a layered offshore ecosystem where deepwater megaprojects anchor regional infrastructure, while shallow-water exploration expands the opportunity set for new entrants.
Trinidad’s Mature Basins Offer Redevelopment Potential
Trinidad & Tobago provides a different but equally important opportunity: redevelopment of mature shallow-water basins. Decades of production have left the country with a significant network of offshore infrastructure, pipelines and service capacity. For operators, this existing ecosystem creates opportunities for smaller discoveries that can be tied back quickly and economically. In a market increasingly focused on capital discipline, such infrastructure-led developments are gaining renewed attention as companies seek projects that balance resource potential with manageable costs.
Despite their advantages, shallow-water projects come with technical and operational challenges. Complex geology, environmental sensitivities and aging infrastructure can complicate drilling campaigns. Addressing these issues will be a key focus of the workshop at CEW 2026, where operators, engineers and service providers will examine strategies to improve well design, reduce drilling risk and deploy new technologies in the region’s offshore environment.
As the Guyana–Suriname Basin continues to mature and regional governments seek to diversify their upstream portfolios, shallow-water exploration may represent the Caribbean’s next wave of opportunity.
