Kitaifa
Tanzania takes a step closer to oil discovery with completion of 2D seismic data acquisition
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has completed the acquisition of 2D seismic data in the Eyasi Wembere Basin, a key step in the country’s quest to discover oil and natural gas in the region.
The project, which cost Sh8 billion, was conducted in areas within six districts across five regions, namely Singida, Arusha, Tabora, Shinyanga, and Simiyu.
The basin is believed to have the potential to contain significant oil and gas resources, based on its geological similarities to other oil-producing basins in the region, such as the Albertine and Turkana basins in Uganda and Kenya, respectively.
Speaking to officials from the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), a Geophysicist from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the Project Manager Mr Sindi Maduhu, explained that the 2D seismic data acquisition will help the country identify areas with potential signs of oil and natural gas presence.
“If we discover these indicators and confirm the presence of these resources, it will mark the crucial phase of drilling production wells,” he said.
Mr Maduhu also noted that the project has benefited many Tanzanians through job opportunities. For instance, in 2022, a total of 40 Tanzanians were employed on temporary contracts to collect geochemical data.
Furthermore, since the commencement of the 2D seismic data acquisition project in July, more than 250 Tanzanians were employed in the project, with approximately 98 percent of the technical work being carried out by locals.
“In terms of procurement, more than 60 percent of the contractors for the project implementation were Tanzanian companies, including Africa Geophysical Services (AGS), which was the main contractor for the 2D seismic data acquisition in this project,” he explained.
The completion of the 2D seismic data acquisition is a significant milestone for Tanzania’s oil and gas exploration efforts. If successful, the discovery of oil and natural gas in the Eyasi Wembere Basin has the potential to transform the country’s economy and create thousands of new jobs.