26 September 2013, News Wires Africa-focused Tullow Oil reported Thursday that its Ekales-1 wildcat well, located in Block 13T in northern Kenya, has found oil.
Tullow said that results of drilling from the well, including wireline logs and samples of reservoir fluid, indicate a potential net oil pay in the Auwerwer and Upper Lokone sandstone reservoirs of between 197 and 322 feet. The firm added that future flow testing will aim to confirm productivity from these zones.
Tullow said that the find is the firm’s fourth consecutive wildcat discovery in the first oil basin opened in northern Kenya since it began drilling there in 2012. The Ejales-1 well is located between the Ngamia-1 and Twiga South-1 oil discoveries, where reservoir properties appear to be similar.
The firm said that once operations have been completed the rig will move to drill the exploration prospect Amosing-1, which is locate south of Ngamia-1.
Tullow is the operator of Ekales-1, with Africa Oil owning a 50-percent interest.
Tullow Exploration Director Angus McCoss commented in a company statement:
“This success at the Ekales-1 wildcat is further evidence of the exceptional oil potential of our East African Rift Basin acreage. Having opened the first basin with the Ngamia-1 well last year, we are now increasing the pace of exploration in Kenya aiming for 12 wells over the next 12 months.”
Elsewhere in Kenya, Tullow said its Agete-1 well commenced drilling in mid-September.