Logistics Operations begin at the Tarach-1 well in Kenya Block 11A

Work towards the Tarach-1 well expected to spud at the end of the first quarter of 2016 has begun with the operating partner CEPSA having awarded drilling service contracts following the requisite tenders and logistics operations toward drilling have begun.

In the meantime Block 11A venture partner has reported increased interest in farming into Kenya as drilling approaches and says it is in discussions with several interested international E&P companies.

The mean estimate of oil prospective unrisked resources for the prospect is 65 million barrels with the mean unrisked prospective resources of all prospects and leads in Block 11A totals 645 million barrels.

The two partners had earlier said that contingent upon the results of Tarach-1, they might decide to drill a second exploratory well, the Egole-1 a four-way rollover closure onto a Northwest – Southeast trending fault plain with mean prospective resources of 101 million barrels of oil, to follow shortly thereafter.

The prospect is defined by four 2D seismic lines out of the 2014 survey. The structural trap is a 3-way dip closure against a north-south normal fault plane at 1,426 mMD (-954m TVDSS) and covering a surface area of 12 sq.km. The vertical closure is calculated at 220 meters at the P10 closing contour.

The joint venture partners are currently in the second phase of exploration entered in September 2014 which require them to either acquire 3D seismic or proceed directly to drilling one exploration well during the additional two-year exploration period.

ERHC holds a 35 percent interest in Block 11A while CEPSA has a 55 percent interest.