Oil drilling survey takes off in Mandera

Nairobi - Simba Energy is
undertaking airborne surveys that
are expected to continue for
several days in Block 2A in
Mandera.
The company's airborne FTG
survey (Full Tensor Gradiometry),
which begun ten days ago, has
been expanded to cover a new
and significant target area
identified by preliminary FTG
results received to date.
A statement by the company said
that the aircraft initially covered
the secondary smaller survey area
(850kms²) at the southwest
boundary of Block 2A in order to
investigate the area within the
Anza basin.
Results to date for the FTG survey
in this area have been
encouraging.
Simba Energy said that the results
from the survey would serve to
provide better targeting and more
cost-effective 2-D seismic
acquisition, which it has planned
for later in the year and is
preliminary to final drilling
decisions.
"Simba has had discussions with a
number of companies expressing
interest in farming directly in to
Block 2A to undertake a 2D
seismic program with a drilling
commitment, based on these FTG
results currently being
generated." stated Robert
Dinning, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the company.
Simba Energy had earlier
announced that it hoped that
once Africa Oil completed
exploration at Block 9 which
shares a boundary with Block 2A,
it would provide insight into the
prospectivity of the eastern
margins of the Anza basin.
Block 2A is near to the South
Lokichar basin where Africa oil and
Tullow Oil have had significant
discoveries.
Block 2A's concession area
overlies the southern extents of
both the Anza basin, one of the
largest Tertiary-age rift basins in
the East African rift system and
with a geological setting similar to
the South Lokichar basin as well
as the Mandera basin where the
Tarbaj-1 well and nearby oil seeps
in the south of Block 1 have
already confirmed the presence of
a petroleum system.