This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta marked a significant milestone in Kenya's history by flagging off the first shipment of crude oil from the port of Mombasa.
The 200,000 barrels of crude oil were purchased by Chinese company ChemChina UK Limited, which won the tender to buy Kenya's first oil at a cost of 12 million US Dollars (approximately Sh1.2 billion).
ChemChina UK Limited beat seven other bidders to secure the deal, with the crude oil being transported by road from Turkana County to the Kenya Petroleum Refinery facility in Changamwe, Mombasa.
The oil was discovered by Tullow Oil in 2012 in the Lokichar basin in northwest Kenya.
The shipment is part of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS), which aims to test the international markets' reception of Kenya's low-sulfur oil ahead of full commercial production in 2023.
Tullow Oil CEO Paul McDade stated that the shipment of 200,000 barrels will continue for the next 18 to 24 months.
"This shipment is the first under EOPS and trucking will continue for the next 18-24 months. For Project Oil Kenya, the Kenya Joint Venture In collaboration with the Government of Kenya target to reach a final investment decision in 2020," McDade said.
