Kenya to export 400,000 barrels of crude oil in 2019

Source: Xinhua| 2019-08-20 18:57:56|Editor: ZX
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NAIROBI, Aug.20 (Xinhua)-- Kenya is expected to export 400,000 barrels of crude oil in 2019, becoming the first east African nation to export oil to the international market, a government official said on Tuesday.

Andrew Kamau, principal secretary in the ministry of petroleum and mining told journalists in Nairobi that the oil sales are being conducted under the early oil pilot scheme (EOPS) which seeks to establish a market for Kenyan oil.

"The first batch of 200,000 barrels of oil will be exported in the third quarter of 2019 and second will be sold towards the end of the year," Kamau said.

Kamau said that most of Kenya's oil will be sold in Asia.

He revealed that under the EOPS, which is being undertaken jointly by Tullow Oil, Africa Oil and Total Oil, the country will be producing 2,000 barrels of oil daily from its oil blocks in northwest Kenya.

"However when the country attains full commercial production, output is expected to range between 70,000 and 80,000 barrels of oil daily," he added.

The government official said that Kenya will export its petroleum resources as its oil refinery has been shut down because it is inefficient.

According to the ministry of petroleum, crude oil will be transported by road and until the proposed Lokichar to Lamu port oil pipeline is complete.

Kenya discovered commercial oil deposits in 2012 and are currently estimated at 750 million barrels of oil.

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