ONGC Videsh, Indian Oil Weigh Stake in USD3 Billion Kenya Project

Posted on : Thursday , 25th August 2022

ONGC Videsh and Indian Oil Corp. are in talks to amass a stake in Tullow Oil Plc's $3.4 billion venture in Kenya, in accordance with folks with data of the matter.

The transaction's worth could also be between USD 2 billion and USD 3 billion, the folks stated, asking to not be recognized as a result of the talks are personal. The Indian state-backed firms will probably be joint operators of the venture after the deal, they stated.  

Tullow is the present operator of the venture and has a 50% stake, whereas companions Africa Oil Corp. and TotalEnergies SE maintain 25% every.  

The potential deal alerts the revival of Kenya's aspiration to export oil on an industrial scale since Tullow Oil found crude in the East African nation in year 2012. Tullow Oil submitted a remaining area improvement program to the federal government in December, boosting the venture that had stalled as the corporate centred on managing debt and finalizing its technique.  

The talks are on-going and the businesses might nonetheless determine towards pursuing a transaction, the folks stated.

Tullow Oil spokesperson stated the corporate will reply to a request for remark when contacted. ONGC Videsh and Indian Oil didn't instantly reply.

Tullow Oil stated in July that progress on the Kenyan venture trusted discovering an associate.  

"A confidential course of to safe a strategic associate for the fabric improvement venture in Kenya continues and Tullow Oil is assured that it'll make substantial progress in the 2nd half of the 12 months," Tullow Oil stated at an investor briefing.

ONGC Videsh, an explorer with pursuits in 35 oil and fuel belongings in 15 international locations would be the lead on the venture, backed by Indian Oil, the South Asian nation’s largest refiner, in accordance with the folks.

Kenya's south Lokichar fields in blocks 10BB and 13T are projected to supply 120,000 barrels of oil per day, with anticipated gross oil restoration of 585 million barrels over the total lifetime of the sector, in accordance with Tullow Oil. The firm estimated the price of manufacturing from the wells at $22 a barrel.

From an earlier plan, the waxy crude will probably be shipped from the fields by way of a 20-inch, 825-kilometer heated pipeline to a port in the archipelago of Lamu.