Durham battled hard to reach 262 at The Oval but Surrey had the better of day one as they seek a third successive County Championship title.
Colin Ackermann was left stranded on an impressive unbeaten 78 as Dan Worrall snatched two quick wickets to finish with 4-39.
Surrey raced to 52 without loss in reply with Rory Burns completing 1,000 Championship runs for the season as he tucked into some loose new-ball bowling with a six and seven fours to reach 40 not out.
Surrey began the penultimate round of Division One matches eight points clear of second-placed Somerset, who beat them at Taunton last week, and reduced Durham to 134-5 after opting to bowl first before Ackermann and Bas de Leede added 70 in a punchy fifth-wicket stand.
Alex Lees and Ben McKinney gave Durham a solid start, although Lees was bowled shouldering arms to a Sam Curran no-ball on 23.
Both openers fell in Worrall’s second spell, McKinney for 23 when he pushed away from his body and edged to Ben Foakes to end a stand of 60 and Lees bowled for 36 by an absolute beauty that ducked back into him late.
Tom Curran had debutant Emilio Gay, on loan ahead of a permanent move from Northamptonshire, lbw for a duck but David Bedingham, dropped on 14 despite a brilliant effort from Dom Sibley, put on 51 with Ollie Robinson.
Jordan Clark pinned Robinson leg-before for 17 and Lawes had Bedingham caught behind for 37 off a perfect away-swinger.
De Leede struck six fours in his 36 before splicing a pull at a short ball from Tom Curran and offering a simple catch to wide mid-on.
Sam Curran’s removal of Callum Parkinson for one left Durham 216-7 but Ackermann, driving the younger Curran brother for one glorious four, marshalled the lower order to good effect as 19-year-old paceman Daniel Hogg, making his fourth first-class appearance, helped him add 30 for the eighth wicket.
Hogg pulled Tom Lawes straight to Tom Curran at deep square leg and 16-year-old debutant James Minto hit two fours before Worrall bowled him and pinned Chemar Holder lbw.