Tullow Oil has discovered oil in a fifth well in the Turkana region in northern Kenya
In a statement, the company announced that it has encountered oil at the Agete-1 exploration well in Block 13T.
The company has sampled movable oil with an estimated 100 metres of net oil pay in good quality reservoirs. The well had been sunk to a total depth of 1,930 metres.
The company has other wells that have proved viable in Turkana. They include Ngamia, Twiga. Ekales and Etuko with between 60 and 100 metres of oil pay. It is estimated that the area could hold more than 20 billion barrels of oil, with commercial production set to start in 2016.
“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 Tullow’s acreage in the region,” Tullow said in a statement.
Tullow operates the Agete-1 well with a 50 per cent interest. Africa Oil with 50 per cent has a non-operated interest. The firm plans to drill about 12 wells over the next 12 months.
Mwangi Mumero
