ABSTRACT
At the end of 2010, the State Oil Company of Suriname celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. This event was organized by the much-heralded oil company under circumstances that seemed to signal a change of attitude the firm among the Surinamese political elite. The apparent disagreement between the President and Staatsolie's leadership seemed be more than an isolated incident. Despite pressures from the political environment, Staatsolie has managed to flourish and develop into a major pocket of effectiveness in Suriname's public sector. Staatsolie has been able to develop into a pocket of effectiveness largely because of the recognition of the company's management that the features specific to the petroleum sector in Suriname would enable them to establish a relatively independent enterprise. The literature about patrimonialism and rentier states has focused traditionally on macro-level institutions and on the influence that rent-seeking, patronage and clientelism exert in society and the economy.
