Tullow OIl & Africa OIl strike more oil in Turkana, Kenya

Tullow Oil and it's partner Africa OIl have encountered more oil in Blocks 10BB and 13T in Northern Kenya.

According to Angus McCoss, Exploration Director, Tullow Oil plc, “I am pleased to announce that the Twiga-2 exploratory sidetrack has encountered material oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs north of Twiga-1. The combined results from Twiga-2 and its successful sidetrack confirm the resource potential and have given us valuable insights for the locations of future exploration and development wells. The Ekunyuk-1 well encountered the best developed reservoir sands so far on the east flank, although at this location the trap appears to be incompletely formed. Additionally, the presence of a thick extensive oil shale gives us new options to study the basin’s substantial unconventional oil potential.”

Twiga-2 sidetrack encounters 62 metres of net oil pay

“The Sakson PR5 rig is continuing drilling operations on the Twiga-2 up-dip appraisal well.  The initial wellbore was drilled near the basin bounding fault and encountered some 18 metres of net oil pay within alluvial fan facies, with limited reservoir quality. A decision was therefore made to sidetrack the well away from the fault to explore north of Twiga-1 and some 62 metres of vertical net oil pay has been discovered in the Auwerwer formation, similar in quality to the initial Twiga-1 discovery.  The well is currently being deepened to evaluate the Lower Lokhone potential and a testing program for this successful well is planned to be conducted later this year.”

Ekunyuk-1 finds best sands on eastern flank although lacks trap

“The Ekunyuk-1 well is located on the eastern flank, on trend with recent discoveries at Etuko and Ewoi. The well has now reached a final total depth of 1,802 metres and has encountered some 5 metres of net oil pay, within approximately 150 metres of reservoir quality water-bearing sandstone and an equal thickness of a basin-wide rich oil shale. This rig will now be moved to the Agete-2 location.”

This gives confidence to the government and people of Kenya that commercial viability of the oil fields in Turkana county is getting closer.