Uganda expects construction of a US$3.5B crude oil export pipeline to start in the first half of next year, Energy Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu said.
A final investment decision and the start of construction are both expected to happen by the end of June, the minister said during an online oil conference Wednesday.
Building the 1,445-kilometer pipeline, which stretches from Uganda’s oil fields to Tanzania’s Tanga port, is expected to take three years.
Also read: Tanzania, Total sign agreement for East African crude oil pipeline
Total SA, which controls two thirds of Uganda’s oil discoveries, is leading the pipeline project along with Chinese partner Cnooc Ltd. and the two East African states.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline will export 216,000 barrels a day at peak production, according to its website.
A final investment decision for the oil fields will unlock an investment of at least US$10B in developing the Tilenga and Kingfisher deposits, the minister said.