Kenya’s plan to start commercial oil production before the end of the year has received a major boost after a massive drilling rig arrived at the Port of Mombasa.
The 1,500-horsepower GW70 Integrated Onshore Drilling Rig is part of a 2,152-metric-tonne consignment destined for the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana County.
The equipment arrived aboard MV Transit Sedanka on Saturday after sailing from Abu Dhabi via Duqm, Oman.
The rig, valued at more than KSh2 billion, is being offloaded at the Port of Mombasa before being transported by road to Turkana.
Its arrival comes as Gulf Energy E&P BV SEZ races to meet its December 2026 target for Kenya’s first commercial crude oil production.
Gulf Energy plans to begin drilling in the South Lokichar Basin on November 1 before starting the first phase of oil production in December.
“All workstreams at Gulf Energy E&P BV SEZ are running to a tight project management schedule, and the project remains on course for First Oil production in December 2026,” Gulf Energy CEO Paul Limoh said.
The GW70 will undergo commissioning and acceptance checks before it is deployed to the oil fields in Turkana.
The South Lokichar development is part of a wider project estimated at about US$6 billion, with the first phase targeting production of 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Gulf Energy plans to increase production to 50,000 barrels per day in the second phase of the project.
The South Lokichar Basin holds commercially recoverable oil discovered more than a decade ago, but development was delayed by challenges in securing investment and approving a viable field development plan.
The project changed hands in 2025 after Gulf Energy acquired the oil assets from Tullow Kenya, paving the way for renewed efforts to move the fields into commercial production.
The Kenya Ports Authority said the arrival of the specialised cargo demonstrates the Port of Mombasa’s growing role in handling oversized equipment required for major energy and infrastructure projects.
Once cleared, the equipment will begin the long road journey from Mombasa to Turkana as preparations for drilling continue.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority has said Kenya remains on course for first oil in December 2026, with the first crude exports through the Port of Mombasa expected in the first quarter of 2027.
The latest development therefore puts Kenya’s oil ambitions on a tighter clock, with Gulf Energy having just weeks to move and prepare the equipment before drilling begins in November.