{"id":4616,"date":"2016-04-26T09:27:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T09:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/?p=4616"},"modified":"2017-01-25T09:57:09","modified_gmt":"2017-01-25T09:57:09","slug":"why-all-eyes-are-on-cepsas-tarach-1-well-in-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/why-all-eyes-are-on-cepsas-tarach-1-well-in-kenya\/","title":{"rendered":"Why all eyes are on CEPSA\u2019s Tarach-1 well in Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

2016 has been a rather hard year for the upstream sector globally which has led to job cuts, trimming of operations, lack of ready finance as investors seek faster returns among other unfavorable outcomes.In Kenya particularly the rig count is down to just one at any one time with the current SMP-1 rig\u00a0drilling the wildcat Tarach-1 well<\/a> in Block 11A and which is expected to take 60 days to complete.<\/p>\n

Although this is the first well in the block many players in the sector in Kenya are watching the outcome with a more positive expectation more than any other such well in recent history.<\/p>\n

This is as the Tarach-1 well might be the only well in the works this years and a discovery is expected to lead to a second well<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Tarach-1 prospect whose mean estimate of oil prospective unrisked resources is 66 million barrels is located in the Tarach basin on the Eastern part of the block and has in trend relationship with the Abu Gabra rift basins of Southern Sudan suggesting high oil an gas prospectivity.<\/p>\n

The block is also in close proximity to discoveries by Tullow Oil to the south with an estimated 600 million barrels estimated to be in place.<\/p>\n

A discovery could then reawaken hopes for a second well in the Block whose drilling is believed to have been shelved for the meantime.<\/p>\n

Other than Tarach-1 a number of other were expected in 2016 including one in Block L19 operated by Rift Energy<\/a> which was scheduled to commence by the end of Q1 with a source claiming it is unlikely that the well will be drilled this year.<\/p>\n

According to Vice President of Operations at Rift Energy Tom Guidish the company is committed to drill a well in the block within the said timelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish to clarify our position that yes we are still planning to start drilling a well on Block L-19 this year, and neither timing nor location has changed,\u201d Tom Guidish told OilNews.<\/p>\n

Another well that was planned to be drilled by Zarara Oil and Gas in Block L4<\/a> is also said to be in doubt with the company yet to receive the needed finances. Already the operator has been granted an 18 month licence extension<\/a>\u00a0through\u00a0to June 2017,\u00a0to the First Additional Exploration Period on Block L4 and L13 production sharing contracts.<\/p>\n

Other wells that have been shelved include the planned Mlima well<\/a> by Anadarko in the offshore Block L11A. The play-opening exploration deep water well in Kenya by Anadarko was part of nine to 12 deepwater exploration\/appraisal wells planned for 2015\/16 in various licenses including Colombia and Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

This said it is clear Tarach-1 well is the only well likely in Kenya in 2016.<\/p>\n

CEPSA has 55% share in Block 11A \u00a0while\u00a0ERHC, and the State-run National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) have\u00a035% and 10% respectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2016 has been a rather hard year for the upstream sector globally which has led to job cuts, trimming of operations, lack of ready finance as investors seek faster returns … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[4369,147,261,2913,3508,3507,431,796,1252,3035,2162,4371,4078,4370,2571,2765],"class_list":["post-4616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","tag-abu-gabra-rift-basin","tag-anadarko","tag-block-11a","tag-block-l11a","tag-block-l13","tag-block-l4","tag-cepsa","tag-erhc","tag-kenya","tag-mlima-well","tag-rift-energy","tag-smp-1-rig","tag-tarach-1-well","tag-tom-guidish","tag-tullow-oil","tag-zarara-oil-and-gas","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5JWkQ-1cs","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4758,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/cepsa-erhc-disappointed-at-kenyas-block-11a-tarach-1-well-source\/","url_meta":{"origin":4616,"position":0},"title":"CEPSA, ERHC Disappointed at Kenya\u2019s Block 11A Tarach-1 well – Source","author":"","date":"June 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"OilNews Kenya has learnt that the search for oil and gas at Tarach-1 in Kenya\u2019s Block 11A has not been successful and works are ongoing to plug the well according to a reliable source. The drilling that commenced on 14th April 2016 using the SMP 106 rig in the north\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top News"","block_context":{"text":"Top News","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/top-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4578,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/cepsa-erhc-commence-drilling-at-tarach-1-prospect-in-kenyas-block-11a\/","url_meta":{"origin":4616,"position":1},"title":"CEPSA, ERHC Commence Drilling At Tarach-1 Prospect in Kenya\u2019s Block 11A","author":"","date":"April 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The SMP drilling rig has spud at the wildcat Tarach-1 drilling prospect (situated in the central part of the Tarach basin) with the well expected to take 60 days to complete. The drilling which started at 6pm on Thursday in the north western most block in Kenya targets to drill\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top News"","block_context":{"text":"Top News","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/top-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Tarach-1-well-rig.png?fit=551%2C412&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4360,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/tarach-1-well-in-kenyas-block-11a-drilling-date-on-schedule-as-rig-mobilization-commences\/","url_meta":{"origin":4616,"position":2},"title":"Tarach 1 well in Kenya\u2019s Block 11A Drilling Date on schedule as Rig Mobilization Commences","author":"","date":"February 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The drilling rig for the Tarach 1 well in Block 11A has being mobilized to the drill site where concreting work and installation of conductors have already been completed as the JV partners Compa\u00f1\u00eda Espa\u00f1ola de Petr\u00f3leos, S.A.U.\u00a0 (CEPSA) operator* and ERHC work relentlessly toward a spud date near the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Block 11A\"","block_context":{"text":"Block 11A","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/tag\/block-11a\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kenya-block-11a-2.jpg?fit=300%2C258&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5809,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/tarach-1-well-now-classified-as-dry-cepsa\/","url_meta":{"origin":4616,"position":3},"title":"Tarach 1 Well Now classified as Dry – CEPSA","author":"","date":"March 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Tarach 1 well drilled in April 2016 was dry as earlier reported by OilNews Kenya according to the latest SEC filing by joint venture partner ERHC. \u201cOperator analysis of the results if the Tarach-1 well shows that it did not encounter any reservoirs. 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In the meantime Block 11A venture partner has reported increased\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top News"","block_context":{"text":"Top News","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/top-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/block-11A.jpg?fit=234%2C215&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5116,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/cepsa-erhc-hit-dry-well-at-kenyas-block-11a-tarach-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":4616,"position":5},"title":"CEPSA, ERHC Hit Dry Well at Kenya\u2019s Block 11A Tarach-1","author":"","date":"September 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier reports by OilNews Kenya that the Tarach-1 well in Block 11A was disappointing have now been confirmed with the commissioner for petroleum Martin Heya at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum saying\u00a0the Spanish explorer Compania Espanola de Petroleos\u00a0 (CEPSA)was a dry well. 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