Uganda explores oil in two new regions

Uganda is exploring for oil in two new regions.

Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development made the announcement on Wednesday (Aug. 20).

She told journalists that her ministry is conducting preliminary exploration studies in the Moroto-Kadam Basin (east) to assess its hydrocarbon potential.

According to Nankabirwa, early results suggest the potential for commercial oil and gas in the Moroto-Kadam Basin.

Similar surveys have started in the Kyoga Basin (centre) with plans to initiate studies in the Hoima Basin which is in western Uganda.

The country's current petroleum resources stand at 6.5 billion barrels.

Speaking in Kampala at the mid-year media briefing on the developments in Uganda’s oil and gas sector, the energy ministry listed the objectives of the exploration efforts:

Increase Uganda's petroleum reserves; extend production beyond 25 years; and enhance the viability of midstream projects such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

READ MORE: Ugandan authorities maintain its oil drill projects are developed sustainably

TotalEnergies' EACOP project includes the drilling of 419 wells in western Uganda and the construction of a 1,443-kilometer heated pipeline linking the Lake Albert deposits to the Tanzanian coast on the Indian Ocean.

As Uganda moves closer to the production phase, authorities have banked on the oil and gas sector to drive the country's economic development.