Kenya: Lokichar basin Ngamia exploratory well spuds

Jan. 25, 2012
Tullow Oil PLC has spudded the Ngamia-1 exploratory well on Block 10BB in Kenya.

Tullow Oil PLC has spudded the Ngamia-1 exploratory well on Block 10BB in Kenya.

The Ngamia-1 well is projected to 2,700 m to test the oil potential of Miocene sandstones. The well is in the Lokichar basin, a north-south trending rift basin that is part of the East African Rift System. The Loperot-1 well drilled in 1992 encountered live oil in the Lokichar basin and recovered 29° gravity crude from Miocene sandstones.

The Ngamia-1 well will test a prospect that is similar to oil prospects drilled by Tullow and its partners early in the exploration efforts in the Lake Albert Rift basin of Uganda. The well marks the start of a multiwell program on Block 10BB and adjacent blocks.

Tullow is the operator with a 50% working interest, and Africa Oil Corp., Vancouver, BC, has 50%.

About the Author

Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration

Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.

Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.