Energy Minister Juma Homera attended a ceremony at the Kasa-1X ST2 well, which is jointly owned by state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and French oil firm Maurel & Prom, to mark the occasion. He said the estimated 223 billion cubic feet (6.3 billion cubic meters) discovery was a "major milestone" in the development of the small oil and gas sector in the East African nation. The new well is expected to start production early next month and is intended to boost domestic supplies. Tanzania has existing natural gas reserves of 57.54 trillion cubic feet. "The discovery is important in ensuring the country has reliable, clean and safe energy at affordable costs, particularly at a time when demand is increasing due to industrial growth and other economic activities", Homera said. Natural gas accounted for nearly 80% of Tanzania's sources of electricity generation, according to government statistics for 2024.