Kenya will start oil production in March 2017

Following Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to expedite exportation of Kenya’s first oil, Tullow Oil Company has confirmed that it will start oil production in March next year.

Briefing President Kenyatta at State House, today, Tullow Oil Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade said his company has made good progress and will be ready to start oil exportation in June 2017.

The oil will be transported by road from Lokichar in Turkana County to Mombasa where it will be exported.

He said initially 2000 barrels will be produced per day, adding that Tullow Oil is committed to aggressive exploration that will see at least eight more wells drilled in North Lokichar to scale up production.

“This will take the mean recoverable resources to over a billion barrels from the current estimated 750 million barrels,” Mr. McDade said.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter said the construction of a pipeline to transport oil from Lokichar to Lamu Port is still on course and that the Government and its upstream partners, Tullow Oil, African Oil and Maersk Companies, have concluded a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for the development of the pipeline.

President Kenyatta emphasized the need to move with speed in the implementation of the pipeline project.

“We have started and we are not moving back. We want to be at the top of the pile. So, we have set a path and by 2019, Kenya is going to be a major oil producer and exporter,” President Kenyatta said.

The meeting was also attended by State Department of Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau, Tullow Oil Vice-President and East Africa Regional Manager Gary Thompson and Country Manager Martin Mbogo.