Uganda produces over 6.5 billion barrels of oil-minster Nankabirwa

29 November 2024, 2:21 pm

By Kyeyune Ali

Uganda now is among the established countries in the world when it comes to petroleum production. This announced was made by Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa at Speake Hotel in Munyoyo in the 5th annual content conference. Uganda is able to at least produce a volume of 6.5 billion barrels, these resources discovered to date are sufficient to support the commercial production of petroleum in Uganda.

The minister in her opening remarks in the 5th content conference noted four key major projects that are being implemented to develop, produce and commercialize Uganda’s oil and gas resources in the short to medium term. She said that including the Tilenga project, the King fishery project, refinery project, Uganda gains a volume of 60,000 barrels of oil per day and 213km refined products pipeline but the government is still in negotiations with the partner and the East African crude oil pipeline at least to add 1,443 Km long, 24-inch diameter from Hoima Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania.

The Minister also mentioned the implementation of the oil and gas projects in Uganda as oil and gas presents the enormous opportunities for fast-tracking the country’s development through providing the required goods and services were such participation is also referred to as national content.

The key areas of focus in progressing national content as earlier emphasized by the executive director of petroleum authority, Ugandans will be able to get employment, the use of local produced goods and services together with transfer of knowledge and technology. Government is working with the private sector and development partners to achieve national content and inclusive growth.

In this oil and gas projects it is expected that over 160,000 people will be employed in 2024 and 1,4451 people were directly employed by licensed oil companies and their contractors and sub-contractors. 13,048 are Ugandans and 4,483 employees were from the communities where oil and gas activities are being undertaken.

Hon. Minister said that “Over 300 government officials have been trained in various oil and gas training programmes including petroleum engineering, geology, geophysics, law, economics, taxation, auditing and finance. These have been the key in the management and decision-making in the oil and gas sector.” She also commended the licensed oil companies and their contractors that continue to support national content initiatives as well as the implementation of various corporate social responsibility.

Mr Egbert Faibille Jnr, chief executive officer of the petroleum commission Ghana said that “Ghana achieved a record first oil in three years. In the year 2010, after commercial discovery was announced of the Jubilee field in 2007. He also expressed how it is admirable that Uganda has taken time to put necessary structures including local content regulatory frame work prior to the approval of plan of development and subsequent final investment decision by operators. The declaration of FID by Total Energies Uganda, CNOOC Uganda limited, Uganda National oil company (UNOC) and the Tanzania petroleum development corporation with the commitment of partners to deliver first oil by 2025 was a significant milestone for the upstream petroleum industry in Uganda.”