Energy Cabinet secretary Charles Keter (right) during the signing of the agreement [photo/citizen digital]British oil explorer Tullow Company has signed a crude oil pipeline agreement with Kenya, laying the foundation for introduction on the planned line expected to be completed in four years.
The agreement draws the legal and technical roadmap for the project’s early works such as mapping out the route for the pipeline and environmental scrutiny for compliance.Tullow Oil has since 2012 struck 750 million barrels of the black gold, considered commercially viable, leading to plans of constructing the 865-kilometre pipeline from Lokichar, Turkana, to coastal Lamu town.“This joint development study agreement provides the framework for the pipeline development,” stated Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter.Mr Keter revealed that the framework has given the ministry flexibility to start inviting investor bids from next week to prepare the pipeline’s design, dubbed front end engineering design (FEED), and carry out an environmental social impact assessment (ESIA) study.The line is expected to be completed in 2021 at a cost of Sh210 billion, making it the second most expensive infrastructure project after the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway (SGR).Tullow has been exploring and developing the Turkana oilfields jointly with partners Canada-based Africa Oil and Danish firm Maersk.