ERHC Energy Inc (ERHE)

[Southern Man]

Read this, http://www.earthexplorer.com/2011-08/Exploring_the_East_African_Rift_System.asp

So, any chance of commercial-scale reservoirs? “Difficult question,” says Tiercelin. “If the Lapur Sandstone (or a stratigraphic equivalent) is present in the Lotikipi (and Gatome) basins, this can be of course a good reservoir in terms of quality and size.” But, he agrees, it will be deep: “at more than 3-4 km,” he says.

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Geosoft Oasis montaj and the geophysical modules employed enabled Long and Njuguna to integrate all the disparate data. “We brought together a variety of data sources for comparative interpretation prior to the modeling stage,” relates Long. “We had available the reconnaissance airborne gravity survey, a previously published 1:50,000 geological map, 2D time seismic lines, the 1980s gravity interpretation, satellite gravity, and of course the previous literature studies undertaken by primarily Morley and latterly Dr. Tiercelin and Dr. Peter Thuo at NOCK.” He says the deep seismic surveys conducted in the late ‘80s and through to the ‘90s helped to constrain deep crustal structure down to the Moho interface. “This structure is required to be modeled, when we are working with Bouguer gravity,” Long says.

He maintained his interest in the anthropology of the region while working in the Turkana depression, “looking at the complex evolution of these basins and especially the problems relating to the interference between the Sudan Rifts, the Anza Rifts, and the Cenozoic Kenya Rift,” he says. “Behind this complex question was the question of the hydrocarbon potential of this area, as a consequence of the demonstrated high hydrocarbon potential of the Sudan Rifts.”

Which made the hydrocarbon prospects in these basins most tantalizing. “Up to now to the best of my knowledge, no economically valuable oil discovery has been made in the Turkana depression including the Lotikipi Basin,” says Tiercelin. More exploration wells would certainly help—he notes that just two have been drilled in the area. “One well, the Loperot-1 drilled by Shell in the Lokichar Basin has demonstrated the presence of thick organic-rich shales, and oil was recovered at some depths in the well, but not with commercial interest,” he says. Nevertheless, he believes it’s an exciting prospect.