Uganda's first commercial oilfield has reached mechanical completion
Oil can transform a nation's economy, but what matters is that this resource becomes a springboard for sustainable development rather than a curse. Uganda stands on the threshold of a new era, and its future depends on how the benefits are shared.
Located in the Albertine Basin in western Uganda, the Kingfisher oilfield is entering the final phase of construction. Officials on site report that the main surface facilities are complete, including a central processing plant with an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes, four drilling pads, pipelines and supporting infrastructure. The field is being developed jointly by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and TotalEnergies, with CNOOC Uganda Limited as operator.
"Under the project, a camp of 75,000 square metres capable of accommodating 1,000 people has been completed, equivalent to the area of 10 standard football pitches. The project team independently developed an intelligent visualised project management platform for overseas operations, ensuring real-time data exchange across companies, time zones and regions. This created a replicable model for digital management of overseas engineering projects," said Zhang Peng, general manager of the Kingfisher project at COOEC Uganda.
For Uganda, this project could be a turning point as the East African economy moves beyond its traditional reliance on agriculture and livestock. The government hopes oil production will create jobs, stimulate infrastructure development and support new industries. Currently, the project employs more than 1,500 people, with over 90 percent of the workforce being local residents. Expectations for the project's potential economic impact are growing.
"Once fully operational, the Kingfisher oilfield is expected to reach a peak production capacity of 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day. This will provide significant momentum for employment, infrastructure and related industries, helping transform Uganda's long-standing economic structure, which has relied heavily on agriculture and livestock, and creating new opportunities for the country's industrial development," said Liu Xiangdong, president of CNOOC Uganda Limited.
In 2006, Uganda discovered commercially viable oil reserves in the Albertine region and has since been investing in infrastructure to support the extraction, transportation and commercialisation of its oil resources.
