Kenyans will have to wait until after 2025 for petrodollars from Turkana oil fields to start trickling in after the government extended the exploration timeline for Tullow.

The British oil explorer yesterday said it had been granted another 15 months for the exploration phase of the Turkana oil project, essentially pushing ahead production timelines and delaying the long-awaited Final Investment Decision (FID).

Tullow, in a statement accompanying its half-year results to June 2020, said the extension was part of the deal that led to its lifting of a force majeure on the project last month.

It said it had suspended its intended sale of stake on the project without specifying its next move on the intended farm down for a 50 percent shareholding in blocks 10BB and 3T in the Turkana oil fields.

“Kenya has agreed to an initial extension to the second additional exploration period… with a final extension until 31 December 2021. Separately, the farm down process has been suspended while the joint venture partners complete a comprehensive review of the development concept to ensure it continues to be robust at low oil prices, and also consider the strategic alternatives for the asset,” Tullow said in a statement.