The ongoing oil exploration survey has identified two specific areas suspected to contain reserves though further studies are expected.

Yussuf Uwamahoro, the coordinator of the energy sector in the Ministry of Infrastructure, told The New Times, that the Canadian oil explorer, Vangold, concluded a satellite and airborne survey over Lake Kivu that signaled "positive indications.”

"Two sedimentary basins of around 2 – 3.6 km in depth and a width of around 10 km by 10 km are promising so far, based on the rough results of the above study,” Uwamahoro said.

This narrows down the area of exploration since, previously, a basin under Lake Kivu of approximately 400 square kilometers had been identified based on the partially completed aerial survey conducted by Vangold in 2008.

Vangold Resources Ltd - a Canadian Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, has since  October 2007 been exploring prospects for oil in the Western Province’s ‘Kivu Graben,’ parts of Nyungwe and Gishwati forests, as well as Lake Kivu.

Uwamahoro stressed that further studies are required in that specific area to be able to have good results of preliminary studies.

"The next step will be to conduct seismic studies to locate potential reservoirs,” Uwamahoro said.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is also being considered to examine Lake  Kivu’s stability that may be caused by seismic waves during the tests.”

The Kivu graben is located south of Uganda’s Albertine graben on Lake Albert, where Tullow Oil plc and Heritage Oil, two other explorers, have hit it big on oil and gas.

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