Simba Essel to carry out Additional Seismic in Kenya’s Block 2A Ahead of Drilling

Simba Essel has said it is contemplating additional seismic to further detail prospects identified in the last 2D seismic acquisition programme and to choose the best location for drilling with the objective being to develop a dual or triple prospect location.

The Company which plans to drill an exploration well of approximately 3,000 metres in 2018 in Block 2A to test two or more intervals, part of fulfilling its drilling commitment to the production sharing contract on Block 2A, says recent seismic interpretation identified five main horizons the youngest of these, Ken 6 was interpreted to be lower Jurassic (Liassic) in age.Four other deeper seismic markers of uncertain age were also evaluated. These horizons are from youngest to oldest, Ken 5 (Triassic), Post-Rift, Upper Syn-Rift, Lower Syn-Rift and Basement.

Twenty-nine leads and prospects in total have been mapped seismically at the Ken 5, Upper Syn-Rift and Lower-Syn-Rift levels. In conjunction with areas defined on these horizons and reservoir parameters defined from possible analogs, low, best, and high estimates of undiscovered petroleum in-place and prospective resources have been calculated. Most of the structural closures can be classified as three-way dip closures bounded by extension faults. In addition, there were number of structural closures in the form of pinching out and four-way dip closures.   In total the gross unrisked undiscovered petroleum initially in-place is 437.7 MMboe according to the completed a NI 51-101 report for Block 2A in Wajir by Sproule International Limited.

According to the report by Sproule the portion of the Mandera Basin underlying Block 2A is prospective as it exhibits a petroleum system with a trend of improving reservoir quality upwards in the possible hydrocarbon bearing leads and prospects. Also, the passive seismic which responds to reservoir quality to produce a response also indicates a continuous systemic profile of improving quality. Passive Seismic is used in places like Alberta (Canada) to monitor hydrocarbon front movement in water floods projects.

The agreement between the various reserve parameters over the prospects in terms of contacts and areal extant suggests migration has occurred. The Tarbaj oil seep located immediately north of Block 2A   suggests the presence of an active petroleum system with oil migrating up dip and being biodegraded as it raises to the surface.

The report further reveals that many of the prospects and leads are coincidental to the same structural event and are stacked one on top of the other. This means a single well can evaluate 2 or 3 prospects or leads.

The completed NI 51-101 report for Block 2A in Wajir, Kenya consists of an assessment of prospective resources of the Company’s interests within the Block 2A in the Mandera Basin in Kenya.