Suriname's Block 52 could become commercial for oil in 18 months, Staatsolie says

- Malaysia's oil and gas producer Petronas is exploring for oil at offshore Block 52 in Suriname, which was declared commercially viable for the development of natural gas late last year following large discoveries in the area, the managing director of state company Staatsolie said on Wednesday.

"We hope also to somewhere in the coming 18 months to get to a declaration of commerciality on oil as well," he told Reuters in a phone interview, referring to Block 52.