Image: Twitter – Yusuf Masaba
Uganda expects to start producing oil by 2021 according to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Irene Muloni.
Speaking in Cape Town last week, she said that Uganda’s initial target was 2020.
“That seems to have slipped and we are looking now at 2021. That date is in line with industry targets,” she noted.
Uganda signed a deal with a consortium comprised of a subsidiary of General Electric to build and operate a 60,000 barrel per day refinery that will cost between $3 billion and $4 billion, and is expected to be operational by 2023.
Uganda’s timetable is being expedited by a planned export pipeline that will cross neighbouring Tanzania, and is expected to come online by 2019.
“We are waiting for the companies to make their final investment decisions. The front-end engineering designs have been completed and we are just going through the processes of approval by the government.”
Total has indicated it is willing to partly fund the project. The pipeline is being developed as a public private partnership.
