Tullow Oil Completes Kenya Drilling Campaign

London based oil explorer Tullow oil has indicated that it will complete the planned programme of ongoing exploration and appraisal drilling activities in Kenya later this month. According to reports, the P.R. Marriot rig 46 and related drilling equipment will be demobilized after completing the current well Amosing-7.  Tullow will however continue with other wellsite operations through the remainder of 2017. 

This is contrary to earlier reports that indicated that Tullow would drill three more wells in the Ngamia, Etete and Ekales fields before completion of the current campaign.

The announcement brings an end to a successful exploration and appraisal campaign that started in 2012 with the discovery of oil in the Ngamia-1 well. The well successfully encountered over 200 metres of net oil pay, the second East Africa onshore tertiary rift basin opened by Tullow. This has since been followed by further exploration success in the South Lokichar Basin at the Ngamia, Twiga, Etuko, Ekales-1, Agete, Amosing, Ewoi, Ekunyuk, Etom, Erut and Emekuya oil accumulations. 

Since 2012, Tullow's successful exploration and appraisal drilling campaigns in Kenya have resulted in the opening of a second new tertiary rift play in the South Lokichar Basin. An accelerated exploration and appraisal campaign was completed in the basin and initial assessment indicates recoverable resources of up to 750 million barrels of oil. The Group re-started exploration in the basin in December 2016 to de-risk resources found to date and target the overall upside potential of 1 billion barrels.

The Erut-1 well drilled in December 2016 in Block 13T, Northern Kenya, discovered a gross oil interval of 55 metres with 25 metres of net oil pay at a depth of 700 metres. The result shows that oil has migrated to the northern limit of the South Lokichar basin and has de-risked multiple prospects in this area which will now be considered in the Partnership's future exploration and appraisal drilling programme.

Tullow still has a number leads and prospects yet to drill which will target upside in the South Lokichar Basin as well as new basins across its acreage.

In addition to the drilling and operational activities to support the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Kenya Full Field Development, engineering studies and contracting activities are under way. In parallel to the upstream development work, the Joint Venture Partners and the Government of Kenya continue to progress commercial and finance studies for the proposed export pipeline, and preparations are under way for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).