Drilling in Kenya’s Block 11A to begin within 12-16 months

Block 11A partner Houston based ERHC has announced that together with the block operator CEPSA Kenya Limited (a wholly owned affiliate of Compañía Española de Petróleos, S.A.U. (CEPSA) it plans to start drilling in Northern Kenya in Q4 2015 earliest having completed a 2D seismic survey and a full tensor gravity gradiometry (FTG) survey which identified two separate basins, Anam and Tarach earlier in the year.

According to the explorer’s president and CEO Peter Ntephe the drilling will be contingent upon several conditions precedent with the partners pursuing the plans with the requisite zeal.

Already the company has said it has identified the presence of several viable leads similar to those in the Lokichar basin some with closures of up to 20 square kilometers.

“The possibility of existence of stacked reservoirs, as seen in the Lokichar basin, could be a significant factor in computation of field volumetrics associated with these closures. Completion of the ongoing detailed seismic interpretation is expected to mature these leads into drillable prospects,” ,” said Dr. Peter Thuo, General Manager of ERHC Kenya Ltd early last month.

The block also lies nearby other significant proven fields in the region including the Muglad and Melut basins in the South Sudan with 3 billion and 2 billion barrels of oil respectively, and the Albertine Basin in Uganda with 1.7 billion barrels of oil in place.