British explorer Tullow strikes oil in its second Kenyan well
BRITISH explorer Tullow Oil, alongside partner Africa Oil, yesterday confirmed that it had struck oil at the second well it has drilled in northern Kenya.
Drilling is ongoing at the Twiga South-1 exploration well onshore Kenya Block 13t, where Tullow and Africa Oil each have a 50 per cent interest. The final drilling result is expected in the next couple of weeks after the pair have drilled further down and necessary analysis has been completed.
The well, the second prospect to be tested as part of Tullow and Africa Oil’s drilling campaign in the region, follows the Ngamia-1 discovery earlier this year in another block, although the commercial viability of this find has yet to be confirmed.
The Twiga South-1 find, which is Tullow’s third this year, could bolster hopes that there is a large reservoir, and Kenya could become a petroleum producer should the oil be commercially viable.
In September, the British explorer was a venture partner on an offshore Kenyan well, which was drilled by US-based Apache. The Mbawa-1 well, drilling 70km off the coast of the East African county, went down 2,500 metres and found 52 metres of gas.
Tullow Oil shares soared yesterday on the news, to close up 1.51 per cent at 1,404p.