Oil exploration in northern Kenya. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Canadian firm Simba Energy plans to drill its first exploratory
oil well in Wajir, northern Kenya, next year with the preliminary
evaluation putting the potential at over 400 million barrels.
The
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE)-listed exploration firm Tuesday said its
consultant, Sproule International, had completed an assessment report of
block 2A, identifying 29 leads ahead of exploration drilling.
“In
total, Sproule puts the gross unrisked undiscovered petroleum initially
in-place at 437.7 MMboe (million barrels of oil or equivalent),” said
the firm in a regulatory notice.
Simba said it planned
to sink an exploration well of around 3,000 metres next year in block 2A
to test two or more intervals (depths).
Sproule is
familiar with East Africa rift systems and has already interpreted all
available seismic and well data in the region surrounding the block in
the Mandera basin.
“The
portion of the Mandera basin underlying block 2A is prospective as it
exhibits a petroleum system with a trend of improving reservoir quality
upward in the possible hydrocarbon-bearing leads and prospects,” said
Simba.
The company said it is mulling additional
seismic surveys to further detail prospects and to select the best
location for drilling.
The aim is to develop a dual- or triple-prospect location, it said.
Oil
and gas explorers use seismic surveys to produce detailed images of the
various rock types and the location beneath the earth’s surface and to
determine the location and size of oil and gas reservoirs.
The Canadian firm recently raised Sh213 million in a private placement for use in the exploration activities in Kenya.
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