Africa Oil discovers two more large oil wells in northern Kenya - kenyadetails

Africa Oil discovers two more large oil wells in northern Kenya

Canadian oil and gas exploration firm, Africa Oil on Wednesday announced two additional oil discoveries in northern Kenya as search for commercial oil intensifies in the East African nation.

The company said that Amosing-1 and Ewoi-1 exploration wells in Block 10BB, onshore northern Kenya, have resulted in the discovery of two new large oil fields.

"These two wells continue the 100 percent success rate in the South Lokichar Basin with seven out of seven discoveries to date," it said in a statement released in Nairobi.

Kenya, still considered a "frontier exploration" field, by its lack of proven oil deposits except the Turkana find, has witnessed a series oil-based transactions.



The country's attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investments (FDI) improved after the new oil discoveries in 2012.

British oil exploration firm, Tullow Oil, struck 300 million barrels of crude oil two years ago in Turkana after investing in highly advanced oil exploration tools.

Kenya has a huge mineral potential but its exploration efforts have only picked in the last 5 years with the awarding of commercial licences in prospecting for oil, gold, coal, geothermal and rare earths.

The East African nation has drilled 31 dry wells in Isiolo, (northeastern Kenya) and Lamu (Southeast) and has lost a lot of money. Officials said the discovery of the commercial quantities of oil in Turkana, one of the poorest communities.

"Based on results of drilling, wireline logs and samples of reservoir fluid, the Amosing-1 well has intersected potential net oil pay of 160 to 200 meters, significantly exceeding pre-drill expectations," Africa Oil said.

Amosing is located 7 km southwest of the previously announced Ngamia discovery along the western basin bounding fault trend commonly referred to as the "string of pearls".

On the eastern side of the basin known as the rift flank play, the company said, the Ewoi-1 well has encountered potential net pay of 20 to 80 meters and has continued to de-risk the basin flank play opened up by the Etuko-1 well in 2013 located 4 kilometers to the east.

Africa Oil CEO Keith Hill said the continued success of our exploration program in northern Kenya will allow them to drive development plans forward with greater certainty.

According to Hill, the wells will be suspended for future flow testing which will confirm the net pay counts after the completion of logging operations.

"These two rigs will mobilize to drill the Emong-1 prospect (formerly called Ngamia West), and the Twiga South-2 appraisal well, both located in Block 13T," he added.

Africa Oil has a 50 percent interest in both discoveries with operator Tullow Oil plc holding the remaining 50 percent interest.

The company also said the Etuko-1 well testing in Block 10BB is underway and is scheduled to be completed later this month and the Ekales-1 well test should commence shortly.

It said new basin opening wells at Sala-1 in Block 9 in Kenya and the Shimela-1 well in the Chew Bahir Basin in South Omo Block in Ethiopia are expected to spud in February and April, respectively.

The partnership has elected not to continue into the next exploration phase in Block 10A in Kenya and the previously planned test of the Paipai well has been cancelled due to concerns over economic viability.