Reports from Kenya Monday indicated that Tullow Oil Plc, has discovered more oil in the Ngamia-1 well in Kenya.

According to Tullow, it a has struck more oil in Turkana and surpassed the oil reserve in Uganda.

Exploration Director at Tullow Oil Plc., Angus McCoss confirmed this, stating that the net pay encountered so far in Ngamia-1 is more than double that encountered in any of our East African exploration wells to date. We now look forward to the drilling and evaluation of the deeper potential of this well and the acceleration of our seismic and drilling campaigns in the region.

“This ongoing wildcat is an excellent start to our exploration campaign”, he added.

According to reports, plans are being put in place to drill stem test the well, although the exact timing of this testing is yet to be decided, said the company. The Weatherford 804 rig will then move 31 kilometres to the Tullow-operated Block 13T, where the Twiga-1 (formerly known as Mbango-A) wildcat well will spud in the second half of this year.

Furthermore, the company disclosed that a rig is being sourced to drill its Block 10A Paipai prospect in Marsabit County in northern Kenya. Tullow said the Ngamia structure is the first prospect to be tested as part of a multi-well drilling campaign in Kenya and Ethiopia.  This has led to identification of similar  leads and prospects.  Thus, Following this discovery, the outlook for further success has significantly improved.

The company have also proposed to the Kenyan government an increase in 2D seismic acquisition and the sourcing of an additional rig to increase drilling activities.

The company has a 50 percent operated interest in seven onshore licences in the Kenya and Ethiopia Rift Basins, covering in excess of 100,000 square kilometres. It also has interests in over 90 production and exploration licences in 22 countries, which are managed as three regional business units: West and North Africa, South and East Africa and Europe, and South America and Asia.

In Africa, Tullow has already recorded production success in Ghana. It also boasts of  production interests in Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Congo and Equatorial Guinea, with two large appraisal and development programs in Ghana and Uganda.

On March 26, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki announced the discovery of oil in excess of 20 metres of net oil pay; though the commercial viability of the oil reserve was to undergo further assessment.