Tullow’s Twiga South-1 well finds oil onshore Kenya

Tullow Oil has encountered 30 meters of net oil pay in the Twiga South-1 exploration well in Block 13T onshore Kenya, along with a tight fractured rock section with hydrocarbon shows over a gross interval of 796 meters. The Twiga South structure is the second prospect to be tested in the Lokichar Basin as part of a multi-well drilling campaign in Kenya and Ethiopia and is the first oil discovery in Block 13T. It is located 22 km to the north of the Ngamia-1A discovery and further de-risks a number of other similar features on the western margin of the basin.

Twiga South-1 was drilled to a total depth of 3,250 meters and successfully logged and sampled. Three sandstone reservoir zones, analogous to Ngamia-1, were encountered, and moveable oil greater than API 30° has been recovered to surface. A series of flow tests will be conducted on the well in late 2012 into early 2013. Following completion of the testing program, the rig will move back to flow-test the Ngamia-1 well

In addition to the net pay, the well also penetrated a thick section of tight fractured rock below 2,272 meters, which had extensive hydrocarbon shows over a gross interval of 796 meters. Moveable oil greater than API 30° was also successfully sampled from this section. 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.

Elsewhere in Tullow’s East African Rift basin acreage, a result from the Paipai-1 well in Block 10A in Kenya is expected by the end of the year, and the Sabisa-1 well in the South Omo Block in Ethiopia is expected to commence drilling by the end of December.

Tullow has a 50% operated interest in the Twiga South-1 well, with Africa Oil holding the remaining 50% interest.