Centric Energy has announced results of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) oil-seep study of its Block 10BA, northwest Kenya.
As part of its ongoing exploration work in Block 10BA, Centric Energy has purchased sixteen satellite acquired SAR scenes from Fugro NPA to provide a minimum of three SAR scenes from different dates over all areas of Lake Turkana. Fugro NPA's experts undertook an interpretation of these data to identify and classify possible surface slicks on Lake Turkana. They categorised the observed slicks as either 'Priority Unassigned' slicks, which is an oil slick with an estimated 20 percent chance of being related to natural oil seepage, or 'Unassigned' which is an oil or non-oil slick that has an estimated 10 percent chance of being related to natural seepage.
The four slicks that were classed as 'Priority Unassigned' slicks appeared only on a single satellite scene, but had characteristics that were more likely to be related to natural seepage. In addition, five of the lower confidence 'Unassigned' slicks appeared on two or more SAR scenes of different dates; according to Fugro NPA's experts, this repetition over a period of time increases the likelihood of them being related to natural seepage rather than related to another source. Therefore there are, in total, nine slicks which have a higher likelihood of being related to natural oil seepage from an underground source while still lacking clear characteristics that can confidently relate these slicks to such seepage. Some of the slicks coincide with geological structures observed on seismic data.
There are complementary data on a natural live oil seep which is recorded in an Onshore Seeps Database (source Fugro Data Solutions Ltd., North Wales) as occurring on the north-western shores of Lake Turkana. This seep is described as 'Oil indications, close to salt and sulphur springs. Oil indication similar to Albert Rift'. No geochemical analysis of this reported oil seep has yet been located by Centric Energy.
It is important that the interpreted slicks on the lake and the mapped seep on the shore are validated by sampling them in the field and undertaking chemical and geochemical analyses to identify the source of the oil. This work is planned for later in 2010.
'The results of this oil seep study are encouraging and we are cautiously optimistic,' said Alec Robinson, President & CEO of Centric Energy. 'These results need to be confirmed by fieldwork and sampling, and geochemical analyses, which we expect will be conducted during late 2010. If this future work confirms that the oil is due to natural seepage it will greatly improve our risk assessment of the exploration potential of Block 10BA.'
Block 10BA
Centric Energy (Kenya) holds a 100% interest in onshore Block 10BA in northern Kenya and is currently in discussions with a number of companies regarding a potential partnership.
Acreage Highlights:
- Covers 4 mm acres (16,187 sq km) in the east African Tertiary rift system, including most of Lake Turkana.
- 27 leads have been identified on existing seismic data with total P50 prospective oil resources of 2.2 bn barrels.
- The Albertine graben in Uganda, in which Heritage Oil Corp. and Tullow Oil plc have made major commercial oil discoveries, is considered to be geologically and geographically the closest analog*.
- The contractual work programme for the first three years includes an airborne gravity survey and 200 km of 2D seismic acquisition at a minimum cost of $3 mm
Source: Centric Energy