Dangote Refinery: Onshore drilling equipment set for Lokichar arrives in Mombasa

A massive onshore drilling rig is removed from a ship docked at the port of Mombasa before being taken to Lokichar in Turkana County for commercial oil drilling activities./KNA

The Port of Mombasa has received delivery of massive onshore drilling equipment for oil production in Lokichar in Turkana County, reaffirming the port's status as the gateway for energy and infrastructure investment in the region.

The 2,152-metric-tonne consignment came aboard the MV Transit Sedanka, having sailed from Abu-Dhabi via Duqm Port in the sultanate of Oman.

Among the heavy equipment being discharged is the GW70 Integrated Onshore Drilling Riga 1,500-horsepower unit worth over Sh2 billion.

The Lokichar oil basin holds an estimated 326 million barrels of recoverable oil, and the project aims to be fully operational by December.

The Lokichar crude oil project has officially transitioned into its highly anticipated commercial development phase, targeting first oil production by December 2026.