Tullow announces new Kenya oil discovery

Tullow Oil Company on Thursday announced an oil discovery at the Etom 1 exploration well that it said extended the already proven South Lokichar basin “significantly northwards” FILE PHOTO |

Tullow Oil Company on Thursday announced a discovery of oil at the Etom 1 exploration well that it said extended the already proven South Lokichar basin “significantly northwards”.

Tullow said in a statement that the well, drilled 6.5 kilometres north of the previous Agete-1 discovery, had an estimated 10 metres of net oil pay.

The discovery is the northernmost to date in the South Lokichar basin, Tullow said.

It said that following the success of the South Lokichar basin, the site would be extended to cover a further 247 square kilometres in this northern area.

APPRAISAL WELLS

The company said appraisal wells in the Ngamia 3 field encountered 150 metres of net oil pay in both the Auwerwer and Lokone reservoirs, while the one at Amosing 1 encountered up to 30 metres net oil pay.

“Continued success in appraisal of the Ngamia and Amosing fields reinforces our belief that the South Lokichar basin holds very considerable potential which we hope to replicate in additional basins,“ said Angus McCoss, Tullow’s exploration director.

He said opening tests in the neighbouring Kerio basin would start in September.

“The next basin-opening test will be in the neighbouring Kerio Basin, with the Kodos-1 well expected to spud in early September," said Mr McCoss.

In the oil and gas industry, "net oil pay" is the thickness of a rock that can deliver hydrocarbons to the well bore at a profitable rate.