Tullow advances Kenya exploration program

March 28, 2014
Tullow Oil PLC has moved forward with exploration and appraisal activities conducted by four rigs operating on Blocks 10BB and 13T onshore Kenya.

Tullow Oil PLC has moved forward with exploration and appraisal activities conducted by four rigs operating on Blocks 10BB and 13T onshore Kenya.

The Emong-1 exploration well on Block 13T was drilled by the Weatherford 804 rig to a final depth of 1,394 m to test a structure directly across the main basin bounding fault, which is juxtaposed against the material oil accumulation discovered by the Ngamia-1 well, 4 km southeast.

Tullow said the well found poorly developed oil-bearing reservoir sands suggesting that the main basin bounding fault controls the distribution of reservoirs in this area and has no impact on the potential of the Ngamia oil accumulation.

The rig will be moved to drill the Ekunyuk-1 wildcat in the east of the license as a further test of the rift flank play, where discoveries were recently made at Etuko and Ewoi (OGJ Online, Aug. 1, 2013; Nov. 22, 2013).

Meanwhile the Sakson PR-5 rig is continuing drilling operations on the Twiga South-2 updip appraisal well, expected to be completed in mid-April (OGJ Online, Feb. 13, 2013). The rig will then move to drill a downdip appraisal of the Amosing discovery, which appears to have high-quality reservoir and may be one of the largest discoveries in the basin to date, Tullow said.

Following the successful drillstem test of the Etuko-1 well on Block 10BB, which flowed at a combined rate of 550 boe/d, the PR Marriott rig remained to drill the Etuko-2 well.

The well was designed to evaluate a very shallow reservoir zone penetrated in Etuko-1 but could not be properly logged because the wide gauge of the original well, the company said. The rig drilled Etuko-2 to a final depth of 650 m and the well flowed water with oil shows. The rig will move to drill the Ngamia-2 well to appraise the Ngamia discovery (OGJ Online, Apr. 15, 2013).

The SMP-5 rig conducted a DST on the Ekales-1 oil discovery well in Block 13T and successfully flowed more than 1,000 b/d (OGJ Online, Sept. 26, 2013). The rig will move to conduct a DST on the Agete-1 discovery well, also on Block 13T.

Tullow operates Blocks 10BB and 13T with 50% equity. Africa Oil Corp. owns the remainder.