Tullow Oil, Swala Energy to carry out a FTG Survey over Kenya’s Block 12B

Kenya’s Block 12B operator Tullow Oil and joint venture partner Swala Energy have announced that the government of Kenya has approved a new work programme submitted by the explorers involving carrying out a Full-Tensor Gravity (“FTG”) Survey over the block to optimise the location of the exploration well and thereby maximise its chances of success.

Following the extension on March 10th the partners have until  16th of August 2017 within which to drill the 12B exploration well.

The FTG work would be carried out in conjunction with reprocessing of the 2014 seismic to improve the character of the sediment fill below the basalts, as demonstrated by Swala’s work late last year.

“The delay to the 12B drilling will allow the Joint Venture to optimise their drilling location and to develop a better technical view of prospectivity that is currently partly obscured by the local shallow basalts,” says Swala Energy CEO      Dr. David Mestres Ridge.

The technical review of the 12B basin that was completed in the third quarter of 2014 and revealed a number of leads and prospects, of which Ahero-A was provisionally identified as a potential drilling target in 2016.

The Ahero “A” prospect is located on the northern margin of the Nyanza Graben and is transected by five seismic lines. It has an area of approximately 16 km² and is the first major structure that could potentially trap any migrating hydrocarbons from the basin.

Another joint venture partner Compañía Española de Petróleos, S.A.U (CEPSA) withdrew from the block as it was uneasy with the rushed drilling earlier planned for 2015.               CEPSA had prefered more time to review the 2D seismic data come to a decision on whether to drill or drop.

Meanwhile Swala Energy has released new gross oil estimates for the Block 12B estimates which include Kendu Lead A,B and C prospects, Ahero A, B, C and Ahero deep prospects and North Ahero A and B.