Tullow Oil Pushes Kenya’s Block 12A Basin Opener Drilling to Q1 2016

Block 12A basin opener Cheptuket exploration well earlier set to start drilling in October 2015 has been pushed forward to 2016 according to block operator Tullow Oil.

The well which will test  test a basin bounding structural closure in the Kerio Valley Basin in a similar structural setting to the successful Ngamia and Amosing discoveries.

Tullow says that pre-drilling work continues in the Kerio basin following constructive and positive discussions with the local community and county government over the past week.

Tullow Oil has also refuted reports in the Kenya press that it had suspended Kerio Valley operations after what the media termed as job protests.

OilNewsKenya has however learnt from a source with knowledge on the matter that trouble began after a company earlier contracted to carry out works at the site lacked the necessary documents despite the British explorer having hired equipment which continued accruing costs.

When the explorer hired another company locals were unhappy from what seemed as loss of  business by the local contractor in favor of another contractor not from the area leading to the decision to postpone the works which had began before schedule to the planned date.

“Throughout the whole work programme, the Company will continue to engage with local leaders and the county government to ensure full transparency around the work being done and opportunities for local employment and services,” Tullow said in a statement to various media outlets.

OilNewsKenya has also been told by sources on the ground that works will now progress as earlier scheduled after the county government intervened.

The Cheptuket well formerly refered to as Lekep-A is located in Elgeyo Marakwet county in Kenya’s Rift Valley where the oil firms had already conducted an environment and social impact assessment exercise (ESIA) in readiness for the drilling.

Studies at Cheptuket indicate :

• 8 of 16 samples show good to very good source quality with TOC’s ≥3%
• Type I lacustrine oil prone source rocks
• Early oil-generation window with good generation potential
• Sufficient depths of burial based on basin modelling

Elsewhere in the unexplored  North Turkana basin located in Block 13T OilNewsKenya can report that Emesek (Tausi) prospect earlier set to spud in Q3 2015 Block 13T- North Lokichar Basin has began drilling and is expected to take 90 days to complete.

The North Turkana basin is immediately north of the South Lokichar producing trend but remains still undrilled. It also has a younger ‘fill’ than South Lokichar but also expected to share same Miocene sequence

The rig from the Emesek prospect will then head to the Cheptuket well.

Tullow Oil is the operator in both Block 13T and Block 12B with Africa Oil being the joint venture part both with 50 percent interest