A team from Living Earth Uganda (LEU), led by the Executive Director Mr. Swithern Tumwiine and the board chairman Mr. Robert Ndyabarema visited the oil and Gas operations in Tilenga and Kingfisher oil fields. The team aimed to appreciate the strides so far taken in the efforts yielding to Uganda’s first oil and its related development projects.
The trip was hosted by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU). Centenary bank and
The Kingfisher Development Project
The first stop was the king fisher oil field located in the Kikuube District of Uganda and was the first commercial oil field in the country. The field is being developed by a partnership of oil and gas companies: TotalEnergies E&P, (56.67%), China National Offshore Oil (CNOOC), (28.33%), and Uganda National Oil Company (15%). CNOOC Uganda, a subsidiary of CNOOC, serves as the operator of the field.
The development of the field, earlier known as Exploration Area 3A (EA-3A block), was originally initiated by oil and gas companies Heritage Oil and Gas and Tullow Oil. The two companies sold their entire share in the field to TotalEnergies and CNOOC in 2012.
The production licence for the development of the field was granted to the operator in 2013.
According to the final investment decision for the project that was reached in February 2022. The developers are expected to invest approximately $2bn (Ush7.53trn) in the project over the next three years. The construction at the project site started in February 2022 and the drilling of the well on the field commenced in January 2023.
The field development created more than 1,500 local employment opportunities.
The Kabale International Airport-Hoima
The recently renamed Kabalega International airport from kabale International Airport was one of the other areas visited. This is a 3.5 km runway, currently under construction in Hoima, Uganda as part of the infrastructure under construction as Uganda prepares for oil production.
Once completed, it will be Uganda’s second international airport, besides Entebbe International Airport, which has a 3.6km runway. Officials are optimistic that the airport will support oil and Gas, especially the construction of the Uganda Oil Refinery.
Officials have high hopes that this airport will facilitate the development of agriculture and tourism in Uganda and they have made sure that the stages of its completion are aligned.
“We have put in place a number of measures to make sure that projects are aligned despite some delays here and there” says Amos Muriisa, the publicist at Kabalega international airport.
He adds that, “as the officials behind the construction of the airport, they are fully aware that people are more concerned on the profitability of the oil more than the socal aspect and they are working to make sure that their (people) expectations are served”
Nyamasoga waste treatment and facility.
Management of waste is a key component to ensuring environmental protection and EnviroServ Waste Management (Pty) Ltd Uganda is at the job to ensure the safety of the activities of oil and gas projects.
The facility has three main components; the laboratory which analyses the waste materials from oil and gas related products, the waste water treatment plant, which recycles waste water and the engineered land fill to control water that mixes with the waste from infiltrating into the ground oh to contaminate land water.
The Central Processing Facility
The presence of heavy earth moving equipment such as graders, excavators, vibro rollers, sino-truckers and workers, tells the whole story as the construction of the Central Processing Facility, which is the heart of the Tilenga project in Buliisa district continue to take shape.
TotalEnergies is in charge of the site construction of this industrial area that will host the Central Processing Facility in Kasenyi village, Ngwedo sub-county.
The industrial area covering about 700 acres of land will also host other facilities including the construction camps, drill support base, and construction support base.
“This is the largest construction site, which will accommodate about 4,000 workers. The Tilenga Industrial Park will accommodate the central processing facility, operations support base, drilling base liquid mud plant and other allied facilities. We shall also have the operator support base, which will be a permanent installation where about 300 workers will be living as they operate the facility for [more than] 25 years,” Edrisa Kwizera, the Tilenga project national told the media.
Government signed final investment decisions with different partners in developing the oil industry, setting 2025 as the year when first oil is expected.
It is a massive piece of work, which was started by Mota-Engil in June 2021 and it is expected to be completed this year as it is said to be on schedule to meet the first oil deadline.
The facility is expected to process a total of 190,000 barrels of oil per day. Crude oil processed from the Central Processing Facility will be transported from the oil wells through a network of flow lines measuring about 160 kilometers.
TotalEnergies is expected to drill a total of 31 well pads comprising ten in the North Nile within the Murchison Falls National Park and 21 in the South Nile Buliisa region.
Petroleum Authority remains optimistic that Uganda will beat all odds to have the first oil extracted by the 2025 timeline.
Restoring lives of project Affected Persons
The team also visited some of the Project Affected Persons and House holds (PAPs/PAHs) that are currently being supported by Living Earth Uganda as part of the livelihood restoration program to all who were affected by the development of oil development activities.
One of the PAPs we visited is Stephen Oyungi, a resident of Avogera village in Gwendo sub-county, Buliisa district who benefited from Living earth Uganda’s training on the growing and management of pastures, animal management and Cassava growing.
He told visitors that heeding expert advice from LEU, he planted an acre of pastures, which he says will help feed his animals. Oyungi is aware of the drought ahead, for which he preparing. He is preserving the pasture by making hay and silage.
Pasture management is key to livestock keepers like Oyungi because it improves productivity the health of animals.
It is in Total best interest that all those who were in one way or the other affected by oil development activities have their lives restored to the fullest.
Living Earth Uganda (LEU) was contracted by Total Energies EP Uganda B.V, the lead developer of the Tilenga project area, to implement the Agriculture Support Service Project (ASSP) RAP2-5 in the Districts of Buliisa, Kikuube and Hoima for a period thirty-six (36) months effective March 2022.
The main objective of the project is to support farmers to access and utilise good agronomical practices so as to improve their household incomes levels through Agricultural Extension services, Crop Improvement services, Tree nursery services, and Livestock improvement services.