Africa Oil Corp in its operational update on activities in the South Lokichar basin in Kenya, announced plans to restart drilling operations in the oil basin in Q4 of 2016.

The drilling will commence with an initial programme of four wells with a possibility to extend this by another four wells. The first two wells will be the Etete and Erut prospects in the north of South Lokichar basin.Other possible prospects in the programme includes the further appraisal of the Ngamia and Amosing fields to target un-drilled flanks, in order to extend the size of the discoveries.Furthermore, the Joint Venture partners Tullow Oil, Maersk Oil, and Africa Oil  plans to carry out an extensive water injection test programme in the Q4 of 2016 to gather data to optimize the field development plans.

Aside the South Lokichar Basin, the result of the basin opening Cheptuket-1 well in the Kerio Valley Basin in Block 12A was announced in March 2016. The well came across good oil shows, across an interval of over 700 metres and post-well analysis is still ongoing.An Airborne Gravity Gradiometry (FTG) Survey over Block 12A began at the beginning of this month to acquire additional data on the prospective area. More exploration activities in Block 12A and Africa Oil's other remaining unexplored acreage, continues to be evaluated, Energy-pedia reports.

The south Lokichar oil basin is situated in Blocks 10BB and 13T where the partners received a three year extension to the Second Additional Exploration Period for a period of three years to expire on September 18, 2020.

Anita Fatunji