TPDC, Swala to drill for oil in Morogoro before year-end

Morogoro. The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and Swala Oil and Gas (Tanzania) plan to start drilling  for the first oil well in September this year at Kilosa-Kilombero block.

 The drilling to establish whether there is oil  will be carried out at Ipela Village in Malinyi, Morogoro Region.

 TPDC acting managing director Kapuulya Musomba told the Morogoro Regional Secretariat that the work would begin after completing exploration, which started 11 years ago.

“Currently, we are in the final stages of exploration and we expect to start drilling the first well in September this year,” Mr Musomba said.

 TPDC geologist Magambo Samwel said Tanzania seems to have oil and gas just like Kenya and Uganda, but the truth will be known after drilling the first block.

“Though studies show that we have enough oil, the first well to be drilled in September will give us the full picture.”

 Regional commissioner Steven Kebwe said the area’s economy would be boosted if oil is found.

TPDC is a wholly owned by the government.

Swala Oil and Gas (Tanzania) (Swala) is an oil and gas exploration company that is actively exploring the East African Rift System. 

Listed in August 2014 on the  Dar es Salaam stock exchange, Swala is a public company with a vision of building a successful exploration and production firm.

Swala has a 25 per cent equity interest in, and is the operator of, the Kilosa-Kilombero and Pangani licences.

Swala has ca. 8,700km2 of net acreage, in which it has identified basins prospective for both oil and gas.

It is a subsidiary of, and is supported by, Swala Energy Limited. Swala Energy Limited is a public company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.