Oil and Natural Gas exploration officially kicks off in Isles
Oil and gas exploration works kicked off in Zanzibar yesterday, with a UK firm conducting survey on behalf of the government and United Arab Emirates (UAE) company.
Officially launching the survey at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport here, Second Vice-President of Zanzibar, Ambassador Seif Ali Idd said the study will open doors for exploration and extraction of oil and gas resources in the islands.
“Some people were mocking us that we will never explore oil and gas... let the same people be witnesses today as the work begins. Zanzibar is conducting the survey using the Full Tensor Gravity Gradiometers (FTGG),” he noted.
The Bell Geospace Enterprises Company Limited of the UK is conducting the survey on behalf of the government and RAK Gas Company of Ras Khaimah in the UAE.
Ambassador Idd cautioned some politicians bent on misleading the public on the issue of exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas, saying exploration of the resources has no political affiliation.
He said oil and natural gas were currently under the full control of Zanzibaris them selves after the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania amended the constitution to remove oil and gas from the list of union matters.
The Vice-President described the survey that is expected to last five years as an important step in the oil and gas extraction. He said the government has had extensive negotiations with the Rak Gas and finally the talks have led to the commencement of the survey, appreciating the Arabic company as the true development partner of Zanzibar.
RAK Gas Geologist Dr Osama Abdella said his company was fully committed to the project of exploring oil and natural gas in Zanzibar. The team leader of Bell researchers, Mr Stefan Kuna, said that the FTGG survey will take three months, saying the air borne survey was ideally suited to cover remote, inaccessible areas quickly but also reducing disruption to communities on the ground.
“In order to record the best quality data, we fly at a low level, typically only 120 metres above the ground. I should like to stress that the survey instruments are passive and do not emit any radiation or pose any hazard,”assured Mr Kuna.
The Supervisor said gravity gradients or changes in the gravity field with location, reveal variations in the rock density that, along with magnetic variations, can help in discovering petroleum and mineral resources.
“After some initial trial flights, the aircraft will start flying straight to North-South lines covering an area encompassing Unguja and Pemba Islands and the surrounding waters… the lines are up to 200 kilometres long and spaced one kilometre apart and the total distance flown will be almost 15,000km,” he explained further.
The Supervisor said the aircraft will fly for over six hours but survey flights may be much shorter because of air turbulence due to heat and wind increase during the day and adversely afduring the day and adversely during the day and adversely af fecting the data quality.
“The imminent rainy season could also impede the progress as we cannot fly in poor visibility or thunderstorms,” he said. Bell Geo boasts of the technical expertise, knowledge ad capability to carry out the FTG survey in Zanzibar, promising to use all the skills, care and upmost diligence in executing the project.
Brunswick Zanzibar Limited is the local firm assisting Bell Geo to get all the necessary permits, licences and facilities for the job. RAK Gas is the state owned natural gas utility of Ras al Khaimah in the UAE.
The firm has interest in two offshore blocks in Ras al Khaimah as well as holding interests in exploration blocks in East Africa and Egypt, including the East Pande block in Tanzania mainland.