VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — (Marketwire) — 05/07/12 — Africa Oil Corp. (TSX VENTURE: AOI)(OMX: AOI) (“Africa Oil” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide the following update in respect of the previously announced oil discovery at the Ngamia-1 well on Block 10BB, Kenya. Africa Oil holds a 50% working interest in this block, which is operated by Tullow Oil plc (“Tullow”) which holds the remaining 50% interest.
The Ngamia-1 exploration well in Kenya has now been deepened to a total depth of 1515 meters and has encountered in excess of 100 meters of net oil pay in multiple reservoir zones over a gross interval of 650 meters. Following the initial announcement on the 26th March 2012 that Ngamia-1 had encountered in excess of 20 meters of net oil pay, the well has now been deepened from 1041 meters to 1515 meters. A further four good quality, oil-bearing reservoir zones have been encountered. Due to deteriorating hole conditions, a sidetrack of the well was required to deepen the well. Moveable oil with an API greater than 30 degrees has been recovered to surface from six of these intervals. This oil has similar properties to the light waxy crude encountered in the upper reservoir zone.
The Ngamia-1 well will now be drilled to a depth of approximately 2,700 meters to explore for deeper potential including the Lokhone sandstone which was one of the primary objectives of this well. Plans are in place for at least two drill stem tests upon completion of drilling operations. The Weatherford 804 rig will then move to Block 13T where the Twiga-1 (formerly Mbango South) wildcat well will spud in the second half of 2012. A further rig is being sourced to drill the Block 10A Paipai prospect in the Cretaceous Anza Graben system.
Africa Oil President and CEO, Keith Hill, stated, “The total pay sand thickness in this well has far exceeded pre-drilling estimates and certainly has highly positive implications for numerous similar prospects on trend. Based on these results, we are working with our partner Tullow to source additional rigs and acquire additional seismic to accelerate the exploration campaign in this basin. Our goal in the near term will be to assess the size and extent of the potential of this newly discovered basin.”
Africa Oil Corp. is a Canadian oil and gas company with assets in Kenya, Ethiopia and Mali, as well as Puntland (Somalia) through its 51% equity interest in Horn Petroleum Corporation. Africa Oil–s East African holdings are in within a world-class exploration play fairway with a total gross land package in this prolific region in excess of 300,000 square kilometers. The East African Rift Basin system is one of the last of the great rift basins to be explored. New discoveries have been announced on all sides of Africa Oil–s virtually unexplored land position including the major Albert Graben oil discovery in neighbouring Uganda. Similar to the Albert Graben play model, Africa Oil–s concessions have older wells, a legacy database, and host numerous oil seeps indicating a proven petroleum system. Good quality existing seismic show robust leads and prospects throughout Africa Oil–s project areas. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and on First North at NASDAQ OMX-Stockholm under the symbol “AOI”.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Keith C. Hill, President and CEO
Africa Oil–s Certified Advisor on NASDAQ OMX First North is Pareto Ohman AB.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Africa Oil Corp.
Sophia Shane
Corporate Development
(604) 689-7842