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Vanoil Energy Ltd is pleased to announce that Earthview Geoconsultants Limited ("Earthview") of Nairobi has completed the environmental impact assessment ("EIA") including an environmental management and monitoring plan for its upcoming 2010 seismic program operations in Blocks 3A and 3B in northeast Kenya. Blocks 3A and 3B constitute approximately 25,000 square kilometres of Vanoil's Production Sharing Contract ("PSC") concession in Kenya.
On March 8, 2010, the final completed EIA reports were submitted to the EIA coordinating authority and the Kenya National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in accordance with legislative requirements.
Geologically, the two Blocks fall mainly within the Anza basin (Block 3A) and Lamu Embayment (Block 3B) with several kilometres thick basin-fill sediments. Part of Block 3A to the east falls within the Mochesa basin and a section of Blocks 3A & 3B acreage is underlain by near-surface, rarely exposed, limestone rocks. The limestone's form karst topographical features such as sinkholes, towerkarst and fluviokarst, as well as, underground channels and caverns. The Ewaso Ng'iro River and its associated tributaries and swamps, as well as, several laggas (seasonal or ephemeral streams) are prominent on the western side of the blocks and as the roads may be impassable during the rainy season, the seismic survey program would be planned to coincide with the dry season (June, July & August).
Vanoil plans to engage with the local communities through, local employment, practices, procurement of locally sourced goods and support of community initiatives.
The operator, China National Offshore Oil Company ("CNOOC"), is currently drilling the Boghal-1 test well in Block 9 on behalf of its partners Africa Oil Corp. (TSXV:AOI), Lion Energy Corp. (TSXV:LEO) and CPC of Taiwan . This well is currently at approximately 4,600 meters and will be testing several formations on its way to the main target, the Jurassic carbonate reef reservoir at approximately 5,600 meters.
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