Zarara Oil & Gas in CSR Drive in Lamu County Ahead of Pate-2 Drilling

Zarara Oil and Gas a subsidiary of Midway Resources (MRI) the operator in Lamu basins block L4 and L13 has donated books worth Kshs. 2.5 million (approx. $25,000) to all primary and secondary schools located towards the east of the county.

According to Zarara country representative Peter Nduru the education needs were identified following an Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) completed earlier this year by ESF consultants and which the report has now been lodged with NEMA for their review and further discussions with all stakeholders.

“During the ESIA field activities, Education was identified as one of the priority areas for potential collaboration with the community. It is in this respect that he Board and Management of Zarara Oil and Gas made a decision to support the improvement and development of education as a first step among our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives,” Nduru told Lamu East residents.

This comes even as the company prepares to drill one or two wells in Block L4 with Pate-1 well set to spud by June 2017 near the Pate 1 gas discovery in 1971 by Shell/BP.

The event was also attended by Governor of Lamu County Issa Timamy, Senator Lamu County Abu M.Chiaba, Women Representative Lamu County Shakila Abdalla and Lamu East MP Shariff Athman .

Norwegian company Norwell Engineering has been contracted to oversee the design and planning during the drilling of Pate 2. Among its first chores will be the deciding of the road route as well identifying and considering ports and jetties that will be utilized in the process.

Blocks L4 and L13 are believed to be gas prone acreage that have in the past seen discoveries by Shell/BP and are valued to have current estimated unrisked volumes of gas in place of 1.5TcF capable of supporting a 900MW combined cycle gas turbine power station for 25 years .

Zarara Oil and Gas is currently operating under an 18 month license extension through to June 2017, to the First Additional Exploration Period on both of the production sharing contracts.

MRI owns a 75% working interest and operatorship (via its 100% subsidiary, Zarara Oil & Gas Limited) in two production sharing contracts over Blocks L4 and L13 while  partner Swiss Oil Holdings Ltd holds (15%) and the balance of 10% being a carried interest of the Government of Kenya

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