Sep. 2012 - Africa-focused Tullow Oil reported Monday that the Mbawa-1 exploration well, currently being drilled by Apache Corporation offshore Kenya, has encountered gas in its shallowest objective. Mbawa-1, located in the L8 license, has so far been drilled to a depth of 8,375 feet and it has encountered approximately 170 feet of net gas pay in porous Cretaceous sandstones. The Deepsea Metro I (UDW Drillship) is now drilling the well to a total depth of 10,745 feet. Apache is the operator of Block L8 with a 50-percent interest. Tullow holds a 15-percent interest.

Apr. 2012 - Apache has secured the use of the deepwater drillship Deepsea Metro 1 (UDW drillship) to drill the Mbawa prospect. The operator is anticipating a spud date within the third quarter of 2012, pending on when the rig finishes with its current operations. The well is expected to take about 45 to 60 days to complete to a planned total depth of 10,662 feet (3,250 meters) in a water depth of 2,821 feet (860 meters). It is estimated that Mbawa has a maximum potential to contain 4.9 billion barrels of oil-in-place at the main Tertiary/Cretaceous level with significant additional potential also to be tested by the well at the deeper Upper Jurassic level and shallower Tertiary levels.

Jun. 2011 - Origin completed an agreement with Apache to divest a 50% interest in a production sharing contract for Block L8, located in the Lamu Basin, offshore Republic of Kenya. Under the terms of the agreement, Apache obtained operatorship, and Origin was reimbursed historical costs of US $13.2 million. Additionally, Apache will meet a component of Origin's costs of an initial exploration well drilled in Block L8, on the Mbawa structure. The schedule for exploration activity has not been determined. Block L8 spans 1.2 million acres (5,123 square kilometers) with the prospectivity of the block centering on the Mbawa structure, a large but completely faulted anticline. This structure was mapped on 3D seismic data and has potential to hold both oil and gas at inferred Cretaceous and Jurassic reservoir levels, stated Origin. The consortium in Block L8 now includes Apache (50%), Origin Energy (25%) and Pancontinental Oil & Gas (25%).