(Ecofin Agency) - Tullow Oil has revealed plans to transport Kenya’s first crude oil to Mombasa within the next few days.

This is coming days after the government revealed plans to refine the country’s first crude oil at the Mombasa refinery.

Tullow intends to perform an Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS) whereby it will transport two trucks loaded with crude oil from the Amosing and Ngamia oil fields to the Kenya Petroleum Refinery in Mombasa.

“As part of the planning process, an EOPS trucking trial will commence within the next few days and will last approximately 30 days. EOPS would utilize existing oil wells and oil storage tanks in the Lokichar area to initially produce approximately 2,000 barrels of oil per day gross around mid-2017, subject to agreement with national and county governments,” Martin Mbogo, Tullow oil’s country manager said.

The company which discovered oil in 2012, said the test will assist in determining how the crude oil works under different operating conditions while on transit.

It added that the test will also determine the design, cost and type of equipment needed for the EOPS which includes tank-twiners, trucks as well as pre-testing logistics (loading and offloading terminals).

The cabinet last week Thursday, approved the commercialization of crude oil and the development of infrastructure to transport the crude oil before next year’s production.

They also approved the development of the Lokichar-Lamu crude pipeline, which will be the key transportation route for the crude oil after 2022, when Kenya plans to become a net exporter.

The country’s first oil is expected in June 2017, and will be transported by road and rail with a production capacity of 2000–4000 barrels per day.

“For this to happen, the Eldoret (Leseru) – Lokichar Road is being upgraded at a cost of Sh3.2 billion. Also to be replaced under this plan is the Kainuk Bridge to allow for larger and heavier trucks to transport the crude oil,” State House said.

Tullow and its partners, Africa Oil and Maersk Oil, have entered into a MoU with the government, to jointly progress the development of a Kenya crude oil pipeline.

The company and its partners, also plan to resume drilling activities in Q4 of 2016, with a preliminary programme of four wells in the South Lokichar basin and the possibility of extending it by another four wells.

The first two wells will be the Etete and Erut prospects in the north of the South Lokichar Basin. “Other potential prospects in the programme include further appraisal of the Ngamia and Amosing fields to target un-drilled volumes, with an aim of extending the size of these existing discoveries,” it told the Star Kenya.

Anita Fatunji