Gulf Energy, the company tasked with oil production in Kenya after the exit of British-based firm Tullow Oil, has revealed that the first batch of produced oil will be out in December 2026.
A top official speaking to Bloomberg disclosed that the company will begin work next year after it completed the buyout of Tullow Oil’s crude discoveries for $120 million (Ksh15.4 billion).
Oil production by Gulf Energy will officially begin after Parliament ratifies the Field Development Plan that was already approved by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi.
The approval of the FDP was a necessary step to clear the way for Tullow Oil’s buyout, as it would stipulate how an oil or gas field would be developed and managed from discovery to full production and eventual decommissioning.
The latest comes after CS Wandayi announced that drilling at the Lokichar Oil Fields in Turkana would begin in January and February 2026.
Speaking on Friday, November 7, CS Wandayi noted that this would mark a significant milestone in the country’s oil production dream.
He expressed optimism that the oil project would significantly boost the national economy and create employment opportunities for local residents once production commences.
According to CS Wandayi, the submission of the FDP to Parliament would take place within the next 30 days after its approval on November 7.
This came after the government had, in June, expressed its intent to move past the exploration phase and into full-scale development of the Turkana oil fields.
The Lokichar Basin, believed to hold substantial oil reserves, has remained underdeveloped despite years of exploration.
According to initial estimates from Tullow Oil and its former joint venture partners, the South Lokichar Basin holds about 560 million barrels of recoverable oil.
However, the oil initially in place (OIP) across the basin could be as high as 4 billion barrels, though only a portion is extractable under current economic and technical conditions.
The South Lokichar Basin region has been the focus of intense exploration since the first major discovery was made by Tullow Oil in 2012 at the Ngamia-1 well.
Subsequent exploration uncovered additional fields such as Amosing, Twiga, and Etuko, establishing the basin as the core of Kenya’s oil ambitions.
