Plans to commercialise Turkana oil in top gear

The plan for the development and commercialisation of the first Kenyan oil has been approved by cabinet 4 years after the success in exploration for oil in Turkana County where significant deposits were discovered by Tullow Oil in 2012.

According to a statement by the presidential communication unit, the country is in a process of establishing an enabling commercial and infrastructural arrangement that will create an international market for Kenya’s crude oil.

For a start the country aims of producing between 2000 and 4000 barrels of crude oil per day which will then be transported by road for refining in Mombasa.

To facilitate this, the government is upgrading the Eldoret- Lokichar road at a cost of 3.2 billion shillings as well as replacing the Kainuk bridge to allow for larger and heavier trucks transporting crude oil.

It is envisaged the Crude Oil will be transported by rail and road from Eldoret to Mombasa with the first batch expected to be refined in Mombasa.

The Kenya petroleum Refinery in Mombasa   has already been acquired by the government through the Kenya pipeline company in preparation for refining of the Kenyan first crude oil.

The cabinet has also approved the development of Lokichar Lamu crude pipeline which will be the main evacuation route for crude oil in future.