Apache Corp. and French Total have struck a deal to jointly explore for oil offshore Suriname. Each will have 50 percent in the venture, with Apache leading as operator of the first three exploration wells and then transferring the operatorship to the French supermajor, Reuters reports . Apache had been conducting exploration work off the Suriname coast on its own, but results have been unsatisfactory. With a partner, it would now receive much-needed financial help, including $5 billion in cash carry for its first $7.5 billion of capital for appraisal and development of Block 58, as well as reimbursement of half of what it has spent on exploration in the area so far. Suriname does not have a history as an oil producer, but it is a neighbor of Guyana, and Guyana has become the focus of attention recently after Exxon and Hess made a string of oil discoveries […]