Camac Energy to explore 900 million barrels of oil deposits in Garissa County

Camac Energy, a US oil and gas exploration, development and production firm will commence an extensive process to acquire seismic survey data on Block L1B in the next few days.
Studies finished by the firm show that the onshore block which is part of the larger Lamu basin and spans Garissa and Tana River Counties may hold as much as 900 million barrels of oil.
Camac plans to shoot 2D seismic survey in the region for the next five months and has already begun shoring in crew and equipment with the final consignment due in a fortnight.
The company has completed gravity and aero-magnetic surveys as well as the environmental and social impact assessment on the block.
According to Camac, the firm’s activities on the block are targeting net unrisked prospective resources of 900 MBO (million barrels of oil). An earlier well sunk in the block in 1975 showed presence of natural gas and oil.
Speaking in Garissa during a sensitization workshop ahead of the survey, Garissa Governor Nathif Jama called on Camac to uphold its environmental obligations and protect the flora and fauna which abound in the area where the survey is set to take place.
The governor called on the company to ensure the rare Hirola antelope which is only found in the county is not endangered by its activities.
He called on the company to involve the local community in its operations so as to create goodwill amongst the people and ensure the survey is carried out without a hitch.
Camac Energy’s four oil blocks cover a total surface area of about 37,000 square kilometers. Two of the four blocks – L27 and L28 — are located in more than 3,000 meters of ultra-deep waters of the Indian Ocean in Lamu Basin. Its other onshore block is located in the Mandera Basin.
Kenya has become a frontier for oil and gas exploration after British firm Tullow and its strategic partner Africa Oil made successive commercially viable oil finds along the Turkana area.
With more drilling being undertaken, Kenya is poised to be a major oil exporting country. Estimates indicate that Kenya may have over 3.5 billion barrels of yet-to-find (YTF) volumes.
Kenya has 46 oil exploration blocks divided into four exploration basins. These are Lamu Basin, Anza Basin, Tertiary Rift Basin and Mandera Basin.