Insecurity Hampers Operations in Kenya’s Block L6

Australian explorer and block L6 onshore operator FAR Ltd has formally notified the Ministry of Energy & Petroleum in Kenya of a force majeure event over Block L6 according to its latest half year results communication to shareholders.

The 14 July 2017 notification highlights challenges the company is facing in accessing land due to the ongoing security issues in Lamu County that has hindered it to go ahead with a planned 2D seismic.

FAR which is fully carried through a proposed onshore well and a 1,000 line kilometre  onshore 2D seismic survey and associated processing and interpretation by Milio group of companies through a far-out completed in February 2014 has said it continued to suffer delays due to civil upheaval and security incidents in the region.

It is expected that the seismic will define drillable locations on primary prospects Mamba, Kudu and Boundary Anticline within block L6.

As a result of these incidents, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya has awarded the Block L6 joint venture an extension.

FAR and the other JV partner have continued to clash over cash calls and the operator having issued a default notice to it’s partner Pancontinental Oil and Gas for continued failure to pay cash calls from 12 Feb 2015 although the latter has disputed the notices.

Combined prospective resources for the L6 Block have been assessed at 3.7 billion barrels of oil or 10.2 trillion cubic feet of gas (un-risked, best estimate, 100% basis).