Kenya’s dream of being an oil exporter oil may come true in 2017

Kenya will start exporting oil to other countries in June next year.

During President Uhuru Kenyatta’s meeting with Tullow Oil Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade in State House, Nairobi it was discussed that immense progress was being made in the commercial exploitation of oil.

 ‘Initially 2000 barrels will be produced per day. Tullow Oil is committed to aggressive exploration that will see at least eight more wells drilled in North Lokichar to scale up production. This will take the mean recoverable resources to over a billion barrels per year, from the current estimated 600 million barrels,’ Mr. McDade said.

The president was also briefed that the oil would be transported by road from Lokichar in Turkana County to Mombasa where it would be shipped to other buying countries.

Further, Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter said that the construction of a pipeline to transport oil from Lokichar to Lamu Port is still on course.

President Kenyatta called for a speedy construction of the pipeline so that Kenya’s economy could benefit fully from the project.

‘Kenya has to be the top oil exporter in the region and the globe as well,’ said the optimistic president.

The meeting that took place on Wednesday was also attended by the State Department of Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau, Tullow Oil Vice-President and East Africa Regional Manager Gary Thompson and Country Manager Martin Mbogo.