A SENIOR technology executive projected Kenya's oil production to increase significantly as companies in the sector adopt technology to increase output.
Kenya pumps an average of 6 000 barrels of crude oil per day but experts believe the country has a capacity to pump up to 100 000 barrels.
Under current conditions, the old model of oil drilling, supervision and pumping are seen as time and cost-consuming.
In an exclusive telephone interview, Systems Applications Products (SAP) Executive Africa Head for Energy and Natural Resources, Andrew Strachan, forecasted increased output as companies were embracing technology to enhance production, transparency and profits.
“Our software for the oil and gas industry in Kenya and many other strategic African countries help companies streamline, improve extraction, delivery, improve customer satisfaction as well as leveraging new technologies,” Strachan said.
Strachan said SAP Africa is working with big multinational oil and gas companies in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Angola and various Francophone countries.
He said companies such as Kenya Pipeline company, BP, Shell, Chevron, Total, Engen, SASOL, National Energy Regulator, Sonangol, Nigeria National Petroleum Company and Nigeria Liquid Natural Gas were embracing the SAP solutions to enhance their businesses.
Strachan said SAP solutions accelerated innovation and energized performance with its oil and gas industry software.
He added that the industry-specific SAP solutions always provided the real-time visibility companies needed to keep up with regulatory changes, run efficient operations, as well as sharpen company competitive edge.
Strachan concluded that the new technology for oil and gas helped improve barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) production, lowered operating costs, reduced incident rate and finding cost and ensured higher return on capital employed (ROCE), lower capital development costs, reduced days of sales outstanding (DSO) and improved delivery.
The oil industry in Kenya is relatively new in terms of mining and exploration.
Oil was first discovered in 2012. Kenya has four prospective sedimentary basins, namely Anza, Lamu, Mandera and the Tertiary Rift.
Oil and gas experts estimate that Kenya could move to commercial production of oil by 2016.
