KCSPOG Press Statement on Early Oil Pilot Scheme Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)

On the 3 of June 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off trucks carrying oil from Lokichar to Mombasa to mark the onset of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS). The EOPS is a scheme that is ostensibly meant to ensure that Tullow Kenya BV, its Joint venture partners Africa Oil and Total, and the Government of Kenya get more information from the oil wells, test the market for Kenya’s crude and the logistics of handling crude. The scheme is expected to result in the trucking of stored oil from Turkana and the production of 2000 (barrels of oil per day) bopd; the oil will eventually be shipped and sold on the international market. In its 2017 Annual report, Tullow noted that ‘oil produced is being initially stored until all necessary consents and approvals are granted and work is completed for the transfer of crude oil to Mombasa by road.

KCSPOG notes with concern that Tullow is now conducting a public consultation process to develop the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the EOPS and yet all public media reporting indicates that the scheme has already kicked off. In light of this KCSPOG released a press statement.