Tullow falls short in Kenya

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- British energy explorer Tullow Oil said it didn't find hydrocarbons in an exploration well offshore Kenya after examining a secondary target.

Tullow this week said it discovered a natural gas pay measuring about 170 feet thick at the Mbawa-1 exploration well off the coast of Kenya, its first hydrocarbon discovery in the region.

The company said it drilled to 10,338 feet to examine a secondary target but no hydrocarbons were found.

Tullow Exploration Director Angus McCoss said he was encouraged by the preliminary results from the shallow objective at Mbawa-1.

"Although the deeper targets at this location were unsuccessful these results will be vital in evaluating the still significant prospectivity of this block," he said in a statement.

In August, Tullow started an oil campaign in the Twiga South-1 exploration well in Kenya. The company has expressed confidence about the emerging energy potential for Kenya and the country could play host to an oil pipeline planned from South Sudan.