Tullow Oil finds more oil in Kenya well

May 07, 2012 | Africa, Licensing & Concessions

Tullow_Oil_platform

Tullow Oil plc announced that the Ngamia-1 exploration well onshore Kenya in Block 10BB has now been drilled to an intermediate depth of 4,970 feet (1,515 meters) and the total net oil pay encountered so far has increased to in excess of 328 feet (100 meters) across multiple reservoir zones.

Following the initial announcement on March 26, 2012, that Ngamia-1 had encountered in excess of 66 feet (20 meters) of net oil pay, the well has now been deepened from 3,415 to 4,970 feet (1,041 meters to 1,515 meters). A sidetrack was required in this section and following completion of logging and sampling in difficult hole conditions, a total pay count greater than 328 feet (100 meters) has now been discovered over a gross oil bearing interval of 2,133 feet (650 meters). Oil samples with an API greater than 30 degrees have been recovered to surface from the newly drilled section with similar properties to the light waxy crude encountered in the upper reservoir zone.

The Ngamia structure is the first prospect to be tested as part of a multi-well drilling campaign in Kenya and Ethiopia. Many leads and prospects similar to Ngamia have been identified and following this discovery the outlook for further success has significantly improved. Tullow has proposed to the Government an increase in 2D seismic acquisition and the sourcing of an additional rig to increase drilling activities.

The Ngamia-1 well will continue to be drilled to a total depth of approximately 2,700 meters to explore for deeper potential. Plans are being put in place to drill stem test the well although the exact timing of this testing is yet to be decided. The Weatherford 804 rig will then move 19 miles (31 kilometers) to the Tullow Operated Block 13T, where the Twiga-1 (formerly known as Mbango-A) wildcat well will spud in the second half of 2012. A further rig is being sourced to drill the Tullow Operated Block 10A Paipai prospect in Marsabit County.

Tullow has a 50% operated interest in seven onshore licenses in the Kenya & Ethiopia Rift Basins covering in excess of 38,610 square miles (100,000 square kilometers). The basin where the Ngamia discovery has been made is one of seven basins mapped in Tullow’s acreage and is similar in size to the Lake Albert Rift Basin in Uganda.

Tullow (50%) operates Block 10BB and is partnered by Africa Oil (50%).

“This ongoing wildcat is an excellent start to our exploration campaign. The net pay encountered so far in Ngamia-1 is more than double that encountered in any of our East African exploration wells to date. We now look forward to the drilling and evaluation of the deeper potential of this well and the acceleration of our seismic and drilling campaigns in the region,” Exploration Director Angus McCoss commented.