Kenya made history yesterday when it shipped 200 000 barrels of crude oil via the Port of Mombasa to Malaysia through Beijing-based state-owned company, ChemChina.
The shipment marked the East-African country’s entry onto the global stage as an exporter of crude after vast deposits were discovered in 2012 by British firm Tullow and its joint venture partners in Turkana’s Lokichar basin.
It is estimated that the area holds at least 560 million barrels of oil.
The first shipment, purchased by ChemChina for $12 million, marked a major milestone for Kenya’s development as a leading African economy, President Uhuru Kenyatta said.
“There are special moments that mark a turning point in the destiny of our nation,” he said about the first shipment of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS).
The EOPS, Kenyatta added, “shows the global market that Kenya possesses the know-how and the infrastructure required to facilitate full-fired development”.
It presents significant growth and opportunities not only for the people of Lokichar south-west of Lake Turkana, but for the entire country, Kenyatta said.
