Only the second prospect to be tested in the onshore north-west Kenyan Lokichar Trough as part of Tullow Oil’s multi-well drilling campaign in Kenya and Ethiopia, the Twiga South-1 wildcat is the first oil discovery in the 8,429 km2 Block 13T in Kenya. Further up dip potential exists that Tullow plans to appraise but the result has de risked a number of other similar features on the western margin of the basin.
Drilled in late 2012 to a total depth of 3,250m, the well found three sandstone reservoir zones, which are analogous to the untested Ngamia-1 discovery around 22 km south-west in Block 10BB, and found good quality 30° API oil. It is understood that five tests are planned. In addition to the 30m of net oil pay, the well penetrated a thick section of tight fractured rock below 2,272m which had extensive hydrocarbon shows over a gross interval of 796m. This tight fractured rock section is a new play-type for the region that will require further evaluation to understand its extent and any productive potential. Tullow has a 50% operated interest in the Twiga South-1 well, with Africa Oil holding the remaining 50% interest.
Following completion of the testing programme, the Weatherford ‘804’ rig will move back to flow test Ngamia-1, which has 100m of net pay in a gross oil-bearing interval of 775m in the Upper Lokhone/Auwerwer Sandstone. The well also found an additional 43m of potential oil pay over a gross interval of 175m in the Lower Lokhone Sandstone.
The government remains cautiously optimistic that a commercial discovery has been made and that Kenya is on the road to being an oil producer.
