Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) announces that the Taitai-1 exploration well, drilled in the Butiaba region of Uganda Block 2, has encountered five metres of net gas pay and at least eight metres of net oil pay. A thick section of oil-stained basement was also encountered and provides upside potential both at Taitai-1 and elsewhere in the Lake Albert Rift Basin.

The well was drilled to a total depth of 1,006 metres and has been successfully logged. Downhole pressure testing and sampling has confirmed the presence of moveable 30 degrees API oil and a potential oil column of up to 80 metres, in sands above the basement play.

The uppermost oil sand exhibited high permeability; however pressure sampling of underlying oil sands was inconclusive. This uncertainty provides upside beyond the eight metres net oil pay, consequently the well is being sidetracked and the oil bearing zones cored to collect further reservoir and fluid information for detailed analysis.

The Taitai-1 well is the first of a nine-well exploration campaign in the Butiaba area of the Lake Albert Rift Basin. On completion of operations at Taitai-1, the rig will move 10 kilometres to the north-east and drill the Lanya-1 prospect at the end of May. The best candidates for testing will be assessed on overall merit, at the end of the drilling campaign.