Early engagement by U.S. banks and DFIs will drive offshore development, with CEW 2026 set to connect new and sanctioned projects directly with financiers.
PARAMARIBO, SURINAME, February 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As Suriname moves toward its first offshore developments in Block 58, attention is on operators such as TotalEnergies and APA Corporation. But past frontier plays show that discoveries alone don’t guarantee progress – financing must keep pace. U.S. commercial banks, export credit agencies and development finance institutions (DFIs) play a critical role by providing capital, managing currency risk and reducing uncertainty for projects in emerging energy markets like Suriname.
Caribbean Energy Week (CEW), scheduled for March 30–April 1, 2026 in Paramaribo, Suriname, will place project financing, risk management and investment opportunities at the center of discussions for this emerging energy hub.
Guyana provides the clearest regional example. In 2024, the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) approved a $527 million direct loan to support the country’s flagship gas-to-energy project, which includes a natural gas separation plant and a 300 MW combined-cycle power facility. The project will use associated gas from offshore production to more than double Guyana’s installed power capacity, cut fuel import costs and strengthen energy security. Crucially, the financing also supports U.S. commercial participation, sustaining an estimated 1,500 American jobs and enabling firms such as Texas-based Lindsayca and Puerto Rico-based CH4 Systems to deliver key infrastructure alongside ExxonMobil-linked services.
Guyana’s experience highlights the financial challenges Suriname is likely to face. Offshore projects – and the infrastructure supporting them – are too large for operators alone, particularly in smaller economies. U.S. banks with experience in energy projects can play a key role by sharing financial risk and attracting additional investors. Access to U.S. dollars is equally important: offshore revenues will be earned in dollars, while Suriname’s banks mostly operate in local currency. Partnerships with U.S. banks make dollar payments and currency hedging possible, preventing foreign exchange issues from undermining project economics. Moreover, financing from EXIM and the DFC comes with governance, environmental and labor standards that give commercial lenders confidence and reduce political and compliance risks throughout the project.
The global LNG market reinforces this point. EXIM’s approval of a $4.7 billion loan for TotalEnergies’ Mozambique LNG project demonstrates the scale at which U.S. export finance can unlock capital for complex energy infrastructure in higher-risk jurisdictions. While Mozambique faces well-documented security and political challenges, the financing structure itself is instructive: without large, coordinated support from U.S. institutions, projects of this size struggle to reach competitive terms or final investment decisions.
U.S. banks also bring strategic influence, with energy finance shaping how projects are run and how countries connect to global markets. Through their financial relationships, U.S. banks and DFIs communicate standards for transparency, regulatory compliance and environmental and social practices. Early involvement of U.S. banks and DFIs would help anchor Suriname’s offshore developments to U.S. capital and governance standards, supporting long-term economic stability in the region.
These dynamics place CEW 2026 at the center of the ongoing development of Suriname’s offshore sector. With Block 58 already sanctioned, the conversations now focus on project financing, risk management and follow-on opportunities for banks, insurers, export credit agencies and institutional investors. By bringing these players together, CEW transforms technical and commercial potential into actionable investment and project delivery across Suriname and the wider Caribbean.
Caribbean Energy Week
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