Mbawa Encounters Gas Off Kenya

The Apache-led partnership exploring off the coast of Kenya reported a success with the drilling of the Mbawa-1 well. Pancontinental Oil & Gas, one of the partners on Block L8 where the Mbawa-1 well is located, said that the well led to the first major natural gas discovery in Kenya.

The natural gas discovery off Kenya adds to East Africa’s acclaim of a natural gas haven following previous discoveries made in Mozambique and Tanzania. While the news of natural gas was significant, oil is still what Kenya and companies operating there are hoping for.

The well encountered around 52 meters of gas in its shallowest target according to the partnership.

The Mbawa-1 exploration well was drilled to a depth of 2,553 meters, at which point wireline logs, fluid samples, and sidewall cores were acquired from the well. Reservoir and fluid parameters will become available as logs and sample analyses are completed. Drilling has recommenced towards the planned total depth (TD) of 3,275 meters. A secondary exploration target lies above the planned TD.

"With drilling continuing to a deeper exploration target, these interim results may be the first part of the story in this well, and they are certainly just the beginning of the main story of oil and gas exploration offshore Kenya," said Pancontinental's chief executive Barry Rushworth.

Rushworth also said, “While we have not finished operations in Mbawa 1, this gas discovery is very promising and it is the first ever substantive hydrocarbon discovery offshore Kenya. We are delighted to prove that there is a working hydrocarbon system offshore Kenya. Further work continues to evaluate the size of the discovery. We thank the Government of Kenya for its cooperation and support in achieving this very positive initial outcome for the country of Kenya, for the L8 joint venture and for Pancontinental.”