Tullow Oil’s first well drilled in the large North Turkana basin in Kenya has not encountered any significant oil or gas, the London-listed company said today.
But exploration director Angus McCoss said the Africa-focused firm still had a “vast amount” of undrilled acreage with identified prospects and leads providing significant remaining exploration potential.
Tullow was updating the market on exploration and appraisal activities in onshore Kenya.
It said its Engomo-1 exploration well in block 10BA was drilled to a total depth of 7,720 feet using the SMP-106 rig.
The well encountered interbedded sandstones, siltstones and claystones but no significant oil or gas shows, and has since been plugged and abandoned.
Engomo-1 was the first well drilled in North Turkana and is located west of Lake Turkana where numerous naturally occurring oil slicks and seeps have been observed.
Tullow is continuing its extensive exploration and appraisal programme in the South Lokichar basin in blocks 10BB and 13T.
The SMP-5 rig recently installed well completions in Amosing-1 and Amosing-2A in preparation for an extended well test (EWT) of the field and the rig has now been released.
The PR Marriott 46 rig recently drilled the Ngamia-7 appraisal well to a final depth of 9,560ft. The well was drilled to test the Ngamia oil field’s eastern flank. It encountered up to 433ft of net oil pay and has expanded the proven extent of the field. The well has now been suspended for future use.
Planning is also under way to conduct an EWT of the Ngamia field. The PR Marriott 46 rig, which is currently drilling the Amosing-4 well will move to Ngamia to drill and complete the Ngamia-8 well, which will be the main producer for the EWT.
Additionally, two of the existing suspended Ngamia wells will be completed as EWT wells. Initial flow testing of the Ngamia EWT wells is expected to commence around mid-year.
The Weatherford 804 rig is currently drilling the Ekales-2 appraisal well to test an eastern fault block on the structure and also test a deeper exploration objective within the Lokhone shale source rock that has tested oil elsewhere in the basin.
The well is currently at a depth of 9,242ft and has drilled through the primary objective and encountered 164 to 230ft of potential net oil pay.
Final results from the well should be available in April. Following completion of this well, the Weatherford 804 rig will be released.
Finally, 3D seismic survey findings for western basin bounding discoveries has been processed and is being interpreted.
Mr McCoss said: “Whilst we would have hoped for basin opening success in the North Turkana basin’s first wildcat well, Engomo-1, we still have a vast amount of undrilled acreage, with identified prospects and leads providing significant remaining exploration potential.
“There is further good news from our appraisal programme in northern Kenya where the Ngamia-7 well has successfully tested and extended the eastern flank area of the oilfield.
“This result, and the promising initial flows from the Amosing oilfield extended well test, give us further confidence in the size and scale of our two cornerstone fields for the development of the South Lokichar basin.
“The results to date from Ekales-2 are also very encouraging and we are very pleased with the results from the 3D seismic survey, which reveals there is important additional prospectivity in this exciting new oil province.”
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