UPDATE 2-Tullow Oil could halt Kenyan oil operations due to protests | News by country

* Tullow targets the first Kenyan oil exports 2021/22

* The trucking program pilot fields at the coast halted

* Tullow's "optimistic" trucking will resume soon (Add quotes, back plan]

NAIROBI, July (Reuters) – Britain's Tullow Oil said Tuesday that it may be forced to close its northern Kenya oil fields if it fails to reach an agreement to put end to protests from the local community that has disrupted oil transportation activities.

The protests, which began on June 27, interrupted a trucking program that aims to transport approximately 2,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from the northern oil fields to the coast. The pilot project was launched in June.

Oil is used to test flow rates and other technical problems before full production begins and before Kenya starts exporting oil through a pipeline to the coast. The pipeline is expected to be constructed by 2022.

The production area of ​​the Turkana region has long been affected by banditry and cattle theft. Turkana is also near South Sudan, a nation torn apart by years of conflict.

"It is vital that our return to work in Kenya is supported and supported by the government, Turkana leadership and the community, and we are working hard to reach an agreement that will ensure our operations are not interrupted at any time. the future, "said Martin Mbogo, general manager of Tullow Kenya.

"Discussions are under way and we are optimistic that we will be able to start shipping crude oil soon," Mbogo said.

But he added that the essential supplies needed for production "will be exhausted in the next 14 days, after which we will have no choice but to close the camp completely."

The company said this month that it had reduced its staff at the site due to unrest in the area that had shut down operations.

Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining did not comment immediately when they were questioned about Tullow's statement.

Protesters demand the deployment of more security forces in the region, the Kenyan media said.

Tullow said the onshore fields of Amosing and Ngamia estimated contingent resources at about 560 million barrels, with a plateau production potentially reaching 100,000 b / d. (Report by Duncan Miriri, additional report by Shadia Nasralla in London Edited by Jan Harvey and Edmund Blair)