Kenya has sold the first shipment of crude oil produced in its territory.
Yesterday, President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the voyage of the first oil tanker to load the black gold extracted from the oil fields of Lake Turkana on behalf of Kenya Petroleum Refineries, largely controlled by the multinational Tullow Oil.
The transport of the first tanker, the MV Celsius Riga, counts 200 thousand barrels and will earn more than 1 billion and its cargo will be delivered to Malaysia.
The shipment for this first trip will be made by the Chinese company Chem China Uk, which was awarded the contract for the purchase of Kenyan oil for the first month of extraction. The tender was conducted under the supervision of international observers in order to avoid all sorts of trade, according to reports by the Ministry of Mineral Resources.
During the opening ceremony at the port of Mombasa, Kenyatta issued a warning to all the authorities, executives and companies involved in this great deal, to prevent the octopus of corruption from being introduced into the large oil business.
"The Government will ensure that local communities benefit from oil and that the fruits of resources are shared in a fair and sustainable way - said the President of Kenya - I urge all those responsible for operations to avoid any misuse of resources, denying others the benefits.
Tullow Oil estimates that Kenya's onshore oil fields in Turkana offer 560 million barrels of oil and expects them to produce up to 100,000 barrels a day from 2022.