Tullow Oil Resumes Turkana Oil Exploration After Agreement With Government

The government has announced that operations at the Lokichar oil basin will continue after a two-week stalemate. This is after a consultative meeting between the government and Tullow Oil.

In the meeting, the two stakeholders agreed to resolve grievances that had halted crude oil production and trucking.

In a statement, the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining Eng. John Mosonik says a two-tiered system framework will be established to provide communities living in Turkana County and Tullow Oil with avenues for addressing any emerging issues and concerns.

Three weeks ago, Tullow Oil halted crude oil exploration and production as well as trucking of crude from Lokichar to Mombasa citing security concerns. Residents had started protesting, vowing that no oil would be transported from the wells unless the government addressed the insecurity issue.

Following the agreement, Tullow Kenya has already dispatched an advance team to Turkana.

Read: Kenya Power Offers Disconnection Moratorium To Customers With Unpaid Bills 

“The government has resolved to establish a two-tiered system framework. It will provide communities living in Turkana County and Tullow Oil with avenues for addressing any emerging issues and concerns,” read the statement from the ministry of Petroleum.

Mosonik, in the statement, says that the government is committed to foster a harmonious, sustainable, stable and secure operating environment with regard to all operations around the oil, gas and minerals sectors in the Republic of Kenya.

The firm will resume transporting approximately 600 barrels of crude per day with this expected to steadily increase to 2,000 barrels per day once the Early Oil Production System is fully operational and production testing commences at the Amosing production facility.

The firm is expected to make its final investment decision next year.

Do you have a story you want told? Do you know of a sensitive story you would like us to get our hands on? Email your News tips to news@kahawatungu.com