Specialists of New Resolution Geophysics, that has been conducting an airborne ‘gravity and aeromagnetic’ survey are scheduled to end their flying assignment today.

As earlier reported, Vangold Resources Ltd, the Canadian Company exploring for oil in the Western Province signed a Service Agreement with the South African company, for an airborne survey that begun soon after their arrival on September 19.

The end of the two-week survey was confirmed yesterday by an official of the Ministry of Energy and Joseph Katarebe, Vangold’s Country Manager.

"Yes, the survey concludes but it will take about a month before we get results,” Katarebe said yesterday, backing up what Charles Nyirahuku, the Head of the Gas and Oil Unit in the Ministry of Infrastructure earlier told this paper.

It is hoped the survey will end speculation  on whether the country really has oil deposits in the west of the country and pin point the exact locations and quantity.

Assumptions that the country could be sitting on oil arises from the fact that Heritage Oil and Tullow Oil, two UK oil prospectors, have hit it big with findings in the Albertine basin spanning Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In view of that success, a technical review to determine whether this area in Rwanda was an extension of that discovery was sheer common sense, many maintain.

Earlier results of the Lake Kivu area indicated some 57 slicks that called for further investigation, which has altogether led to the aerial survey.

According to a brief on "Current and Future Work Programs” in Rwanda, as seen on Vangold’s website, Vangold specialists will now figure out what ‘the airborne gravity and magnetic data’ means.

"The potential field interpretation will include available geological, geochemical and remote sensing data to rank priority areas, anomalies, and structures for further study with seismic that will eventually lead to the drilling of the most prospective sites,” underlines the brief.

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