A statement from Kenya Presidency says Tullow Oil has confirmed will start commercial Oil production in June 2017 following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to expedite exportation of Kenya’s first commercially viable oil.

While briefing President Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi Tullow Oil Chief Operating Officer, Paul McDade, said his company has made good progress and will be ready to start oil exportation in June 2017.

The oil will be transported by road from Lokichar in Turkana County to Mombasa where it will be exported.

McDade indicated that initially, 2000 barrels will be produced per day, adding that Tullow Oil is committed to aggressive exploration that will see at least eight more wells drilled in North Lokichar to scale up production.

“This will take the mean recoverable resources to over a billion barrels from the current estimated 750 million barrels,” McDade said.

On his part, Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter said the construction of a pipeline to transport oil from Lokichar to Lamu Port is still on course.

Keter said the Government and its upstream partners, Tullow Oil, African Oil and Maersk Companies, have concluded a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for the development of the pipeline.

President Kenyatta however emphasized the need to move with speed in the implementation of the pipeline project.

“We have started and we are not moving back. We want to be at the top of the pile. So, we have set a path and by 2019, Kenya is going to be a major oil producer and exporter,” President Kenyatta said.