By Zenebe G. Tamirat
The first
drilling at what is known the Sabisa-1 well in the South Omo block has been completed
at a depth of 1,810. The result was not good enough but not discouraging
since hydrocarbon indications has been
recorded in sands beneath a thick clay stone top seal. Sabisa-1 Well encounters
instability issues that required the drilling of side track to comprehensively
log and sample the zones according to Tullow’s announcement.
“The Sabisa-1
well has proved to be technically challenging as is often the case in frontier
basins, and the well now requires a side track to re-drill. Nevertheless, we
are encouraged by the hydrocarbon which provide emerging evidence for a working
petroleum in the previously undrilled South Omo Basin.” Says Angus McCoss,
Exploration Director of Tullow Oil Plc. Tullow is a British Oil Exploring
Company holding a 50% interest in the venture with the Canadian counterpart
Africa Oil 30% and the U.S. Marathon Oil 20%.
According to the
Ethiopian Reporter (09/07/20013), Tullow has shifted its crew to the second
well 4 miles away from Sabisa-1, to start a second drilling. At the nearby
Kenya region of Ngamia Tullow has explored what the director referred to as the
first commercial flow from the lower Lockhone reservoir. It is recalled that
Tullow has discovered oil in Lake Albert basin in Uganda which has similar
geological aspects with regions around Lake Turkana rift basin.
The Turkana Rift
Basin earlier known as Lake Rudolf Rift Basin has geological similarity with
the Ethiopian regions that border Kenya. Lake Turkana starts in Ethiopia and
extends south to the regions of Kenya. The explored area for gas and oil in
Kenya are solely 300 miles from the first well Sabisa-1 in Ethiopia.
South Omo is one
of the most forgotten regions of Ethiopia as far economic development is
concerned. It is perhaps the only region in the world that human beings are
living naked. Thousands of Foreigners including multimillionaires visit the
region attracted by the living condition of the various ethnic groups in the
region particularly the Mursis who wear clay in their lips and also as earnings.
Some of this tourists seem mad on Ethiopia because they are afraid development
may change the style of life in the region. In other words they want the
natives to live naked all their lives and forever. Some scholars also consider
Ethiopia’s attempt to discover oil in the region as scramble for wealth belonging
to the natives that they (Ethiopians) forgot for centuries.
The South Omo
region is the most peaceful regions of Ethiopia with the people being proud of
their Ethiopian nationality. This has been demonstrated with the natives’
continuous fight to return back the regions South of Lake Turkana, in Kenya
that they claim to belong to their ancestors.
The Writer
Zenebe Tamirat is available at ztamira@yahoo.com
Follow
@Neguodguadzeneb
