Africa Oil announced that the Agete-1 exploration well in Block 13T, onshore Northern Kenya, has discovered and sampled moveable oil with an estimated 100m of net oil pay in good quality sandstone reservoirs.

The Agete-1 wildcat well is part of a major exploration campaign and has made the fifth consecutive oil discovery in the first of a chain of multiple rift basins across Africa Oil's acreage in the region.

This discovery de-risks several follow-on prospects located to the north and on trend with the Twiga South, Ekales, and Ngamia oil discoveries and adds to the significant resource base already discovered.

The Sakson PR5 rig drilled Agete-1 to a total depth of 1,930 metres. Following completion of logging operations the well will be suspended for future flow testing which will confirm the net pay count.

The rig will then move to drill the Ewoi-1 wildcat in the east of this basin, targeting a rift flank prospect similar to the recent Etuko oil discovery. Africa Oil has a 50% interest in the discovery with operator Tullow Oil plc holding the remaining 50% interest.

An additional two wells are currently drilling in Ethiopia, the Tutule-1 well in the South Omo block, and the El Kuran-3 well in Block 8, with results also expected before the end of the year.

Africa Oil president and CEO Keith Hill said, "The highly prolific nature of this basin is once again proven by this significant discovery."