Uganda’s Kingfisher Oil Field in the west of the country is close to completion, according to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), as the country moves closer to starting commercial oil production.
A project update showed that overall progress has passed 99%.
CNOOC said the project has entered its final stage of development. Major infrastructure is already in place, while the remaining work includes testing, finishing activities, and commissioning ahead of first oil.
The company said civil works are more than 99% complete, while the feeder pipeline has reached 99.4%. Teams are still installing the metering and prover system. Major civil works at the central processing facility are complete, while testing, road access work, and final facility tasks continue.
CNOOC also said it has completed the installation of mechanical equipment. Teams are now carrying out test runs and performance checks on pumps, motors, generators, and compressors. Pre-commissioning is ongoing, and joint commissioning with production teams will follow.
The company also highlighted community support programs. More than 700 people are benefiting from livelihood restoration efforts, including modern agriculture training and enterprise development.
The project currently employs 1,498 Ugandans. Local workers also received more than 291,000 man-hours of training in 2025 alone.
Uganda’s Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said earlier this month that development at the Tilenga Oil Field, operated by TotalEnergies, is about 77% complete.
Oil from the Kingfisher and Tilenga fields will be combined before moving through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline to the Tanzanian port city of Tanga. Nankabirwa said pipeline construction is about 89% complete, with the remaining work focused on technically challenging vertical and horizontal drilling sections.
She added that the pipeline is expected to be commissioned in July, while the first shipment is planned for October 30.
Uganda discovered an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of oil in 2006. Around 1.4 billion barrels are considered commercially viable, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
source: english.news.cn
African Energy Council