Turkana County has launched a comprehensive environmental and social audit of oil exploration activities in the South Lokichar Basin, seeking to establish their impact ahead of the anticipated production phase under new operator Gulf Energy.
A multi-sectoral team has been deployed to the oil fields to collect samples from Blocks T6 and T7, interview residents, conduct stakeholder engagements and obtain professional opinions as part of the exercise.
Officials from the State Department for Petroleum and the consultancy firm leading the process disclosed the details during a meeting with Turkana Deputy Governor Dr John Erus in Lodwar.
According to team lead Engineer Tito Kodiaga, the audit will examine all exploration-related operations, including waste management practices, to document their effects on the environment, livestock, public infrastructure and local communities.
“The focus will be on all exploration-related operations including waste management procedures with a view to documenting impacts on the environment, livestock, infrastructure and the people,” the team lead said.
Kodiaga explained that the team will collect samples from water sources, soil, livestock, grazing fields, agricultural produce and waste materials, among other areas.
The consultant will also engage public and private sector stakeholders, as well as independent professionals, to assess environmental and social concerns associated with petroleum operations in the region.
The audit comes more than a decade after Tullow Oil announced the discovery of commercially viable oil deposits in the South Lokichar Basin in 2012. The basin is estimated to contain millions of barrels of recoverable oil.
Tullow Oil, together with its joint venture partners Africa Oil and TotalEnergies, later exited the project, paving the way for Gulf Energy Ltd to take over as the new operator.
Welcoming the exercise, Deputy Governor Dr John Erus said the audit would provide critical data to inform a comprehensive and coordinated response to concerns raised by host communities over the years.
Dr Erus stressed the need for the process to be transparent, independent and inclusive, with clear mechanisms for sharing the findings with the county government, local communities, civil society and other stakeholders.
“This audit should not only be transparent but also independent and inclusive, with means of sharing the findings with all the stakeholders. The people of Turkana must know what happened during exploration and what to expect during production,” Dr Erus said.
He noted that residents of Lokichar, Kapese and Nakukulas have for years raised concerns over dust pollution, disposal of drilling cuttings, decommissioning of exploration wells and restricted access to traditional grazing corridors.
According to the Deputy Governor, these concerns have not previously been subjected to a comprehensive assessment whose findings were made public.
Dr Erus also called on the State Department for Petroleum to institutionalise continuous audits and verification of licensed operators in accordance with the law.
“Coming at a time when oil production is expected to commence following the entry of Gulf Energy as a new explorer, we urge the state department to ensure continuous audit and verification of licensed operators’ compliance with the approved ESMPs guiding the process,” he said.
The consultancy-led audit is scheduled to run for slightly more than a month, beginning on August 30 and concluding on October 3.
At the end of the exercise, the team is expected to submit an interim report to the State Department and Turkana County Government, followed by a final report outlining the ecosystem-wide impacts identified and anticipated compliance measures for the safety and protection of local communities.
The County Directorates for Energy and Natural Resources, together with officials from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), are expected to participate in the stakeholder consultations.
Environmentalist Vitalis Too, consultant Augustine Lokwang and officials from the consultancy company attended the meeting.
