TPDC kicks off second phase of oil exploration project

ARUSHA: THE Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has officially launched the second phase of the Eyasi–Wembere oil and gas exploration project at Endeshi Village in Karatu District, Arusha Region.

This phase involves the acquisition of 2D seismic data around Lake Eyasi, with a total of 914 kilometres of seismic lines expected to be surveyed. Unlike the first phase, which relied on a fleet of advanced vehicles generating vibrations with reflected signals collected for analysis, the second phase will employ explosives in the lake as the seismic source.

Speaking during a field visit organised by the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), Eyasi–Wembere oil and gas exploration project manager, Mr Sindi Maduhu told the Sunday News that the sound waves produced would be captured using two-dimensional seismic technology for further analysis.

PURA is part and parcel of the project to ensure all activities comply with the National Energy Policy of 2015, the Petroleum Act of 2015 and its regulations, while also ensuring local communities are fully engaged.

Mr Maduhu, who is also TPDC’s geophysicist, said the project contractor, Africa Geophysical Services (AGS), is preparing 15-metre-deep holes in which explosives will be placed ahead of controlled detonations in Lake Eyasi to generate seismic vibrations.

So far, he said, 490 kilometres of seismic lines have been covered, with TPDC targeting a total of 779 kilometres by April next year, out of the planned 914 kilometres. The remaining 139 kilometres will be covered the following year.

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“As you can see, we are currently digging holes in Lake Eyasi where explosives will be placed and later detonated to produce the required seismic signals, which will then be analysed to guide the next stages of exploration,” he said.

The geophysicist added that seismic data collected during both the first and second phases will be processed and critically analysed to determine the exact location of the exploration well. As part of preparations to acquire geological information, Mr Vincent Evance, AGS Project Manager, said the contractor was assembling boats to facilitate movement within the lake during the installation of explosives.

He noted that AGS has recruited a large number of local residents to participate in various project activities. Karatu, where Lake Eyasi is located, is among the areas covered by the project. Other areas include Ngorongoro (Arusha), Meatu (Simiyu), Kishapu (Shinyanga), Igunga (Tabora) and Iramba and Mkalama (Singida).

In October this year, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum and Gas), Dr James Mataragio, visited the project site in Karatu District and announced encouraging findings.

Dr Mataragio said research conducted since 2015 has generated extensive data confirming the presence of oil and gas, with analysis identifying oil-bearing rock formations, indicating the basin’s commercial viability. He revealed that initial aerial surveys and shallow drilling cost about 8bn/-, while the first seismic phase, covering 260 kilometres, required approximately 10bn/-.

According to him, the second seismic phase spans 914 kilometres at an estimated cost of 43bn/-, with 47 per cent (about 430 kilometres) already completed.

The Eyasi–Wembere Basin, located in northern Tanzania along the Eastern Branch of the Great East African Rift System, covers approximately 10,634.9 square kilometres across five administrative regions: Tabora (Igunga), Shinyanga (Kishapu), Arusha (Karatu), Singida (Shelui, Kiomboi and Mkalama) and Simiyu (Meatu).

As one of the frontier areas within the rift system, the basin’s geology closely resembles that of successful petroleum provinces such as Uganda’s Albertine Graben and Kenya’s Lokichar Basin, where significant oil discoveries have been made.