Guyana, Suriname: In the global petro light but still way down the pecking order

For all the current global hum that has been emitting from the Caribbean, of late, on account of the recent rise of neighbouring countries, Guyana and Suriname, to global petro prominence, neither of the two, while both having realized world class oil finds within a decade of each other, is even close to being anywhere near the top of the global pecking order of oil-producing countries. When Investing News Network (INN) a destination web site for the international investment community, published its ‘top ten’ list of global oil-producers, recently, there was still no room for the two neighbouring South American countries anywhere on the leader board, the top ten places remaining firmly in the hands of the entrenched ‘heavy hitters’ in the sector. Indeed, none of the ‘distractions’ embedded in the recent surge of petro prominence realized by the two countries on account of the presumed extent of their oil reserves, brings them even close to dislodging the seasoned heavyweights from the global oil and gas leader board.