Oil exploration firm Tullow has confirmed that it will start from its wells in Turkana.
This is following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to the company to expedite export of Kenya’s first oil.
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Tullow Oil Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade briefed President Kenyatta at State House on Wednesday that the company has made good progress and will be ready to export the mineral in June 2017.
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The oil will be transported by road from Lokichar, Turkana county to Mombasa where it will be exported.
He said 2,000 barrels will be produced per day for a start, adding that Tullow Oil is committed to aggressive exploration that will see at least eight more wells drilled in North Lokichar to scale up production.
"This will take the mean recoverable resources to over a billion barrels from the current estimated 750 million barrels," McDade said.
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Energy CS Charles Keter said the construction of a pipeline to transport oil from Lokichar to Lamu Port is still on course.
He said the government and its upstream partners, Tullow Oil, African Oil and Maersk Companies, have concluded a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for the development of the pipeline.
Uhuru emphasized the need to move with speed in the implementation of the pipeline project.
"We have started and we are not moving back. We want to be at the top of the pile. So, we have set a path and by 2019, Kenya is going to be a major oil producer and exporter," Uhuru said.
The meeting was also attended by the State Department of Petroleum PS Andrew Kamau, Tullow Oil Vice-President and East Africa regional manager Gary Thompson and country manager Martin Mbogo.