Uganda nears oil export status as refinery reaches 99% completion

Uganda is nearing a major milestone in its petroleum industry as the Kingfisher crude oil refinery has reached over 99% completion. Located in the Hoima District, the refinery is expected to have a processing capacity of 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day once operational next year. The project is led by the UAE-based Alpha MBM Investments.

In tandem with domestic refining, Uganda is preparing to enter the global crude oil market. Officials expect the country to become an oil exporter in early 2027. The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) has appointed global energy trader Vitol to market the country’s newly named “Pearl Sweet” crude, which is produced from the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil fields.

To facilitate exports, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is more than 90% complete. The $5 billion, 1,443-kilometer pipeline, led by TotalEnergies, will transport crude from Uganda’s Albertine Graben to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. President Yoweri Museveni noted that local refining could significantly reduce costs by avoiding the $12.77 per barrel transport fee currently required to move crude to Tanzania, potentially lowering Uganda’s $2 billion petroleum import bill.