CNOOC Contributes to Construction of Uganda's First Oil Field

Construction of the Uganda Lake Albert oil field project, the first commercial oil field in Uganda, started on Feb 1, 2022.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) is one of the contributors of the project.

A result of the deepening cooperation between China and Africa, the oil field project is of great significance in promoting development of the Belt and Road Initiative and international energy cooperation.

Discovered in 2006 in West Uganda's Lake Albert area, the oil field covers an area of 1,518 square kilometers and has a proven geological reserve of over 6 billion barrels.

The first phase of the project plans to build two central processing plants and 35 well pads, which are expected to be put into operation in early 2025.

The project will also include the construction of a 1,443-kilometer oil pipeline, the first of its kind to transit Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa, which will guarantee crude oil export.

Construction and operation of the oil field will bring new development opportunities to Uganda, a country that relies on traditional agriculture and livestock as its main economic source, and will make it an important crude oil producer in East Africa.

CNOOC is now one of the largest Chinese companies with the most investment in Uganda. While promoting development and construction of the country's oil field project, the company also fulfilled its social responsibility to support local economic and social development.

It has been focusing on long-term training and cultivation of local contractors and oil talents and has trained more than 150 contractors in various aspects of the oil and gas business and cultivated over 3,000 oil and gas skilled talents.

The company also helped build roads, set up scholarships and plant trees to improve local livelihoods, education and environment.

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)