Updated

Kenya's government says it has approved a plan to start producing between 2,000 and 4,000 barrels a day of crude oil as a start to exploiting the country's oil production potential.

A statement from the president's communications department said Thursday that infrastructure will be upgraded to allow trucks to ferry the oil to the country's main port in Mombasa.

The Cabinet also approved the development of a pipeline from the exploration fields in the country's north to Lamu, where Kenya is constructing a second port, which in the future will be the main source of transportation for crude oil from Kenya.

The pilot scheme has the potential to deliver up to 2,000 barrels per day in the second half of 2017, according to Tullow Oil PLC, which is doing the exploration.