Uganda’s Petroleum Authority ED Visits Tilenga Project

The rigs have reportedly been installed and are prepared for launch, awaiting President Museveni's attendance, according to reports from people who have lately visited the Tilenga project.

From 7^th to 9^th June, 2023, The Tilenga project in the Albertine region, run by TotalEnergies, was the focus of a three-day visit by Ernest Rubondo, Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda. The Tilenga Oil Infrastructure was visited by Rubondo, according to sources within the Authority, in order to evaluate its readiness as TotalEnergies prepares to start drilling operations at the Jobi-Rii field.

At first, drilling operations at the Tilenga project were supposed to start in October of the previous year. The Petroleum Authority must give permission for drilling or spudding at any of the projects in accordance with regulatory standards. Once the Authority is pleased with the infrastructure in place, it is anticipated that this authorization will be granted.

Two drilling rigs from China have already been imported by TotalEnergies after they passed endurance testing at the Honghua Factory in Guanghan City. Early in February of the previous year, TotalEnergies EP Uganda’s contractor, ZPEB, received the first rig. The rigs have reportedly been installed and are prepared for launch, awaiting President Museveni’s attendance, according to reports from people who have lately visited the Tilenga project.

The drilling at the Kingfisher Development Project in Kikube, which is being developed by CNOOC, a stakeholder in the Tilenga Project, was officially started in January by President Yoweri Museveni. The Jobi-Rii field, which is slated for drilling, is one of three production licenses included in the TotalEnergies EP Uganda-operated Tilenga Project.

A Central Processing Facility (CPF) that can process 190,000 barrels of oil and 700,000 barrels of total liquid per day is being built as part of the project. However, beginning drilling operations requires both the Petroleum Authority’s authorization and the completion of comprehensive engineering drawings for the CPF.

Operations at the Tilenga project are located within a national park, mandating caution, in contrast to the Kingfisher project, which started drilling in late January. In February 2022, the project’s final investment decision (FID), together with those for the Kingfisher Development Area and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), were made public.