Apache, operator of block L8 offshore Kenya, has secured the use of the deepwater drillship Deepsea Metro 1 to drill an exploration well on the block during Q3 this year.
Pancontinental Oil & Gas, a partner to Apache in the licence, said the actual date of spudding of a test well on the Mbawa prospect on the concession depends on when the drillship has concluded its current work obligations.
The well is expected to take some 45 to 60 days to complete to a planned total depth of 3,250m (10,663ft) subsea in waters approximately 860m deep.
Pancontinental estimates that Mbawa could hold up to 4.9billion barrels of oil at the main Tertiary/Cretaceous level with significant additional potential at the deeper Upper Jurassic level and shallower Tertiary levels.
Apache is the operator for the L8 consortium with 50% interest in partnership with Origin Energy (20%), Tullow Oil (15%), and Pancontinental (15%).