Kenya’s Crude Oil Pipeline project has kicked-off with the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) putting out an invite for public participation on the project.
Referred to as the Lokichar–Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline is among the key investments that are expected to complement the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia (Lappset) project and open up the northern half of Kenya. It will originate in the oil-rich South Lokichar Basin, near the town of Lokichar, in northwest Kenya to end at Port Lamu, on the Indian Ocean.
After years of delays, the Sh 1.2 billion project has come back to life with new deadlines set for completion. The major delays were due to perennial challenges that the partners have faced and forced them to push forward the deadline for the Final Investment Decision in 2020. It was expected to be completed in June 2022 but that was later revised to the second half of 2023.
Project details
Surveying of the pipeline’s route began in July 2019 but it encountered delays in land acquisition and permitting which also slowed down the progress of the project.
The projected length of this pipeline is about 892 kilometres connecting the Lokichar oil fields in northern Kenya to the Lamu seaport in the south. It is expected to transverse six counties including Turkana, Samburu, Isiolo, Meru, Garissa, and Lamu.
According to the original plans, the pipeline was expected to be 18 inches with a capacity of 65,000 barrels per day, expandable to 80,000 barrels. The pipeline project is under a joint partnership between the Kenya government and the oil companies’ consortium of Tullow Oil Kenya B.V, Africa Oil Turkana Ltd and Total Oil (formally Maersk Oil).
