Tullow to expand oil search in western Kenya

Oil Company Tullow Plc is expected to expand its search to western Kenya following a successful completion of a survey commissioned two years ago.

Nyakach, Muhoroni and Nyando constituencies have been cited for the oil search amidst protests of low involvement of locals.

Tullow Oil senior communications advisor Mercy Kabange said the company had finalised the survey for the project with results expected to guide whether drilling would commence or not.

“Our researchers have just wound up the survey, the report will be analysed to check whether the quantity available is worth drilling,” said Ms Kabange.

She said the success rates of the exploration were still unknown saying that the seismic analysis and exploration drilling would be completed in a few months.

Ms Kabange said detailed surveys on the prospect would still continue in various phases in the three constituencies before actual works begin.
“We encourage local leaders to help us pass the message to residents on the process,” she said.

The official further noted that the exploration could take up to 10 years before actual production starts thus calling for patience among the residents.

Works on the Nyanza site, under block 12B, were started in February 2012 to add to the Ngamia wells in Turkana among others in parts of Rift valley.

Local leaders have insisted that the company honours the agreement seeking to have locals involved in the production right from exploration stages.

Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor said a lot still needs to be done towards strengthening community involvement citing that community holds 50 per cent interest in the finds through the government.

He said the explorers had done very little as per the agreement on engaging the locals adding that they would not accept to be sidelined in the mega project.

“We want the company to consider that there has been a transition from the leadership that was involved at the beginning. This means that they must be in constant touch with us to understand their operations,” Mr Owuor said.

Meeting with leaders

The first meeting, held in August 2012, brought together former MPs Pollyins Ochieng (Nyakach), Mbita’s Otieno Kajwang’ (now Senator Homa Bay), Martin Ogindo (Rangwe) and current Nyando MP Fred Outa.

But the company officials said that engagements with the local community would be a paramount agenda and that they had already started establishing various schemes to help develop local capacity.
The company also gave an assurance that it would compensate landowners in cases of acquisition or loss of land, an issue that had been of concern to most elders from the targeted areas.

The assurances made by Tullow could be a deliberate attempt to forestall the recurrence of what happened in other project areas they are involved in where communities openly resisted their mode of operations.