Kenya’s Ministry of Energy has awarded the 7,802 sq km Block 2A in northeastern Kenya to Simba Energy Inc., Vancouver, BC.
Block 2A, 300 miles northeast of Nairobi and bordering Somalia, overlies the southern tip of the Mandera basin, in which only four wells have been drilled, and the southwest corner of the block extends into the Anza basin. Total SA’s Tarbaj stratigraphic well encountered oil shows at 40-44 m.
The Mandera basin is Permo-Triassic to Tertiary in age with 10,000 m of sediments. Potential source rock interval is mid Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous and comparable with the larger Mandera-Lugh basin in Ethiopia and Somalia.
In the Anza basin, Simba Energy noted, Lower Cretaceous reef structures have been mapped with a potential reservoir thickness of 300-500 m. Source rock is likely Lower Cretaceous. The 11 wells drilled in the Anza basin have encountered oil and-or gas shows.
Present 2D seismic coverage, although regional in nature, identified numerous structures and a major stratigraphic pinchout. The limited seismic coverage available indicates a stable stratigraphic sequence with some very good exploration leads.
Remaining of exploration interest to Simba Energy is the flank of the basement high structure where two Amoco wells drilled in 1987, Elgal-1 to 1,280 m in Permian Karoo and Elgal-2 to 1,908 m in Triassic Karoo, were plugged and abandoned as no reservoir rocks were encountered.
The area of the block overlying the Mandera basin is of particular interest as the analysis of the oil from the seeps at Tarbaj, although severely biodegraded, indicate a source rock maturity for the Mandera basin that is well within the oil window.
Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration
Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.
Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.