The Kenyan government has approved the Lokichar oil development plan, but actual drilling work will not start until the first quarter of next year, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed.
During a visit to Turkana County on Friday, 7 November 2025, Wandayi said drilling will begin between January and February 2026, by which time parliamentary approval may have been secured for the project.
“In line with the Kenyan Constitution and the Petroleum Act 2019, I have officially approved the development of the field plan for the Lokichar Oil Project,” Wandayi said.
“In 30 days, the plan and the production sharing contracts will be submitted to Parliament for approval before the project begins.”
Since state-owned Gulf Energy acquired the Lokichar oil fields in Turkana County from London-listed Tullow Oil for a conditional $120m, approval for its new field development plan has faced delays.
The two parties had expected the approval to come through in June, but it took longer, raising uncertainty about the project’s future.
“Once we are convinced that they have all we want, we are going to approve the field development plan that will then open the door for the commercial phase,” Wandayi said in June.
The secretary had said the first oil export from the project will happen by the end of 2026, earlier than the initial timeline of 2028.
In 2019, Kenya implemented a pilot oil export scheme to assess the commercial viability of its crude.
The scheme fetched the government millions of dollars in royalties, while also causing tensions in the project’s host communities.
However, the government has insisted on full commercial exports to magnify the economic benefit.
Since Tullow made the first oil discovery at the Ngamia-1 well in 2012, the South Lokichar Basin region has been the focus of intense exploration.
The basin is believed to hold up to 560m bbls in recoverable reserves but has remained largely underdeveloped.
Between 60,000 and 100,000 b/d of oil are targeted from the initial development phase over a period of 25 years.
Although medium in size compared to other oil-rich African countries, Kenyans say the project would significantly boost the national economy and create employment opportunities for local residents once production commences.
The recent visit by the cabinet secretary has revived hope for progress.
Turkana leaders, led by East African Community (EAC) Cabinet Secretary Beatrice Askul, have welcomed the development, terming it a game-changer for the region.
They said it would open up Turkana to more infrastructure investments and improve livelihoods for residents who have long yearned for tangible benefits from the oil discovery.