(Ecofin Agency) - Activities has commenced on Cepsa and ERHC Energy’s Tarach-1 well on Kenya’s Block 11A in anticipation of drilling programme to be performed by the end of Q1 of 2016 and a drilling service contract has been awarded following a tender.

The block also witnessed logistics operations before drilling commences. The Tarach-1 well situated in the central part of the Tarach Basin, is demarcated by four 2D seismic lines out of the survey carried out in 2004. The structural trap of the well is a 3-way dip closure colliding with a north-south normal fault plane at 1,426 meters depth (-954m TVDSS) and covers a surface area of 12 km². The vertical closure of 220 meters was planned at the P10 closing contour.

The mean estimate of oil prospective unrisked resources for the prospect is 65 million barrels while the mean unrisked prospective resources of the overall prospects and leads on the block totals 645 million barrels. The partners has recently stated that depending on the results of the Tarach-1 well, a second exploration well, Egole-1 might come after.

Cepsa and ERHC Energy are at present in the phase 2 of exploration, entered into in September 2014. ERHC holds a 35 % interest while CEPSA has a 55 % interest in Block 11A, Petroleum Africa reports.