Africa Oil spuds Twiga South-1 well in Kenya

Canada-based oil and gas company Africa Oil announced the spudding of the Twiga South-1 exploration well, located in onshore Block 13T in Kenya.

The company planned to drill the well to a total depth of 3,114m followed by an extensive coring and testing programme.

Tullow Oil is the operator of the well and holds a 50% working interest in onshore Block 13T, located near the Ngamia-1 oil discovery 23km to the south.

Weatherford 804 rig will be used by the operator to drill the well, which will target the same structural trend and reservoirs as the recent Ngamia-1 oil discovery.

The coring programme will follow if the well encounters similar pay sands as at the Ngamia-1 discovery.

Africa Oil president and CEO Keith Hill said the drilling of Twiga South-1 well is in line with the company’s strategy to expand the play northward into the Lockichar basin.

"We also look forward to the arrival of the additional two drilling rigs, which will allow us to evaluate whether the Tertiary trend extends into southern Ethiopia and to test the Cretaceous rift in north-central Kenya," said Hill.

"We continue to be highly optimistic that the early success we have seen to date will extend into these other areas."

In other operational updates, the company said it will use Sakson PR-5 rig to spud the Paipai-1 well in Block 10A also located in onshore Kenya in early September.

The rig is currently in the process of final mobilisation from Mombassa to the well site.

Tullow Oil, the operator of South Omo Block in onshore Ethiopia is currently nearing conclusion of the rig contract negotiations for drilling the Sabisa-1 well.

Exploration drilling campaign at the well is expected to begin by the end of 2012.