How Eyasi-Wembere oil exploration project touches people’s lives in Meatu

MEATU, SIMIYU: It is summer, and the sun is scorching in Bukundi Village, Meatu District, Simiyu Region. Experts and their assistants are busy in the field, acquiring 914 new data points that will be used to determine the next phase of the gas and oil exploration project using 2D seismic data technology in the Eyasi-Wembere basin.

After the morning shift, they gather at Mariam Simon’s restaurant in Bukundi Village, ready for a delicious meal and cold drinks to quench their thirst before returning to work.

The restaurant is a favorite for full-time and temporary staff of Geophysical Services (AGS) and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), who are executing the second phase of the country’s strategic project.

“The project brings multiple benefits, especially to surrounding areas like Bukundi Village, where it is carried out. Businesses boom, and skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled youth get employed on short-term contracts,” says the 56-year-old mother, also known as ‘Mama Ramadhani.’

According to the mother of seven, before the project, she earned around 20,000 to 50,000 Tanzanian shillings per day. Now, her food vending business generates up to 100,000 shillings daily.

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Her rapidly growing restaurant forces her to increase the number of workers from four to seven to meet the growing demand.

While she describes the benefits of the multibillion-shilling project, a 26-year-old woman, Meja Faustine counts her own successes, two months after being hired by AGS as a cleaner.

Before landing her new job, Meja worked as a mobile money agent, earning just 30,000 to 40,000 shillings per month—an amount that is not enough to cover her family’s needs.

“My parents are old and depend on me as the family’s sole breadwinner. Although this job is temporary, I can comfortably provide for them,” she says. Aware that her job is temporary, she saves her salary to invest in revamping her mobile money business once her contract ends.

More opportunities for youth

Stephen Wawa, another Bukundi Village resident, is among 80 youths working with AGS to collect data captured in the form of sound waves from rocks using the Stryde Node receiver system.

The data is analyzed by experts before moving on to the third phase of the project. Before the project, many youths in the area are often idle, with few job opportunities, especially during the dry season. “An idle mind is easily corrupted.

Many used to drink excessively and smoke. Thanks to the project, we now have the opportunity to learn about gas and oil exploration operations,” says Wawa, who is in his late 20s.

Local Content Policy

Bukundi villagers benefit from direct and indirect employment opportunities from the ongoing project, thanks to the Local Content Policy, legal frameworks, and regulations in place that ensure locals benefit from projects being implemented in their respective areas.

Local content and participation related matters, outlined in the National Energy Policy of 2015, aim to increase Tanzanians’ involvement in the petroleum value chain.  “Oil and gas companies in the country are required to develop local capabilities,” states Tanzania’s Energy Policy.

Eyasi-Wembere Exploration Project Manager and TPDC geophysicist, Maduhu, says that of the 200 people working directly on the project, 85 percent are locals, while the remaining 15 percent are foreign experts.

“The number of locals in the sector is increasing with Tanzanians continue gaining experience and skills from the gas and oils subsector,” Mr Maduhu tells Daily News.

Although the project is in its second phase of exploration, the project manager adds that Tanzanians living near the project benefit from vending services including supplying goods and services needed for the ongoing operation.

In this fiscal year, the government, through TPDC, allocated 43 billion shillings for data collection, with the current phase expected to last over 18 months.

“Data is currently collected in mainland areas, and the next phase involves parts of Lake Eyasi,” he says. “Local citizens are actively participating, benefiting from the project’s multiplier effect.”

While TPDC and AGS explore underground resources, the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) monitors the process to ensure compliance with the country’s local content policy.

The policy mandates that license holders, contractors, and subcontractors prioritize Tanzanian goods and services.

A Call from the Local Government

Bukundi Village Executive Officer Marco Kilatu urges locals to maintain peace and harmony to allow experts to conduct their exploratory work. He also advises youth who secure jobs on the project to perform their duties diligently and build trust with their employers as the government seeks resources to boost the economy.

Eyasi-Wembere Gas and Oil Exploration Project

The Eyasi-Wembere Basin stretches across five regions: Singida, Arusha, Tabora, Shinyanga, and Simiyu.

Faustine Kayombo, TPDC’s Senior Geophysicist, says that the project, which begins in the 2015/16 fiscal year, is now at a crucial stage.

Experts reduce the area of focus to pinpoint locations for potential exploratory oil and gas wells. Kayombo notes that the team now has a clearer understanding of the 10,630-square-kilometer basin, thanks to 2D seismic technology.

The current task is to gather more detailed data on potential oil and gas reserves. TPDC Geologist Dr Shaibu Nuru explains that the Eyasi-Wembere Basin, located in the Rift Valley, is selected for exploration after oil discoveries in similar geological regions in Kenya and Uganda.

Oil is found in Lake Albert, Uganda, and the Turkana region of Kenya, prompting Tanzania to explore the Eyasi-Wembere area.

The first phase of collecting 2D seismic data in the Eyasi-Wembere Basin completed last year, with experts expressing optimism that the exploration identifies areas with potential oil reserves.

Experts now work to acquire 914 new data points that determine the next steps. Once the data, captured through sound waves from rocks using the Stryde Node receiver system, is processed and interpreted, it helps decide whether or not to establish exploratory oil and gas wells.