Tullow Oil has announced the discovery of further oil at one of its wells in the Kenya Rift Basin.
The Ngamia-1 exploration well, located onshore Kenya in Block 10BB, has been drilled to an intermediate depth of 1,515 metres, with the total net oil pay encountered so far increasing to more than 100 metres across multiple reservoir zones.
The Ngamia structure is the first prospect to be tested as part of a multi-well drilling campaign in Kenya and Ethiopia. Tullow said that many other leads and prospects similar to Ngamia have been identified, and that following the Ngamia-1 discovery, “the outlook for further success has significantly improved”.
Tullow has now proposed to the Kenyan government an increase in 2D seismic acquisition and the sourcing of an additional rig to increase drilling activities. The company has a 50 per cent operated interest in seven onshore licences in the Kenya and Ethiopia Rift Basins, covering in excess of 100,000 square kilometres. The basin where the Ngamia discovery has been made is one of seven basins mapped in Tullow’s acreage and is similar in size to the Lake Albert Rift Basin in Uganda.
The Ngamia-1 well will continue to be drilled to a total depth of approximately 2,700 metres to explore for deeper potential.
Commenting, exploration director Angus McCoss said: "This ongoing wildcat is an excellent start to our exploration campaign. The net pay encountered so far in Ngamia-1 is more than double that encountered in any of our East African exploration wells to date. We now look forward to the drilling and evaluation of the deeper potential of this well and the acceleration of our seismic and drilling campaigns in the region."
Tullow operates Block 10BB and is partnered by Africa Oil, which holds the other 50 per cent interest.
