The pressure problems that forced a rethink
Every gas field has a natural life. For Aminex, the thrill of first production at Kiliwani North soon met the reality of geology and pressure.
By 2017, just a year after first gas, KN-1 was no longer flowing at its earlier rates. Inlet pressures at the wellhead began to fall, production slipped below 1 MMcfd, and the flare that had once burned brightly was now little more than a flicker.
It was a sobering moment. For a junior like Aminex, Kiliwani had been the showcase asset: the first revenue stream, the proof that Tanzanian gas could be monetised. But as production declined faster than expected, it became clear the field was only ever going to be a modest contributor.
By late 2017, the well was effectively shut-in. Without sufficient pressure to sustain commercial flow, and with little appetite for further drilling in such a small structure, the partners let Kiliwani slip quietly into the background.
For investors, it was a disappointment. After waiting years for first gas, the payday had proved brief. But the experience wasn’t wasted. The GSA, the commissioning of infrastructure, and the operational lessons learned at KN-1 all paved the way for what really mattered: the much larger Ruvuma basin discoveries.
In hindsight, Kiliwani was always a stepping stone. It gave Aminex credibility as a producer, even if only for a short period. It proved that Tanzania’s new pipeline and processing system worked. And it reminded shareholders that small fields can’t carry a company’s future — bigger projects were needed.
The fall of Kiliwani North closed one chapter, but it opened the next. Attention shifted firmly to the south, where the Ruvuma basin held a prize of a different scale.
➡️ Next time: Chapter Seven — The Ruvuma Basin Story. We’ll trace the Ntorya discoveries, the drilling of NT-1 and NT-2, and the promise of the much larger gas volumes that would redefine Aminex’s future.
