Uganda says construction of regional crude oil pipeline on course

The construction of a 1,443-km crude oil pipeline between Uganda and neighboring Tanzania is on schedule, Ugandan Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa said on Thursday.

The civil works of the 3.55-billion-U.S.-dollar East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) between the oil wells in Albertine Graben in western Uganda and Tanzania's seaport of Tanga is on the right track, Nankabirwa said.

"A total of 1,100 km of line pipe has been delivered to Tanzania out of the expected 1,443 km. The completion of the thermal insulation plant in Tanzania and the delivery of insulated line pipes marked critical milestones," she said.

China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd, the EACOP construction contractor, began civil works at the pump stations, main camp, and pipe yard sites in both Uganda and Tanzania in 2024, according to the ministry.

"Approximately 90 km of line pipes have been welded in Tanzania, while Uganda closed the year with over 10 km welded," Nankabirwa added.

Uganda in 2006 discovered 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are commercially viable, according to the ministry