KIKUUBE — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will today, Wednesday, unveil the official commercial name of Uganda’s crude oil blend at the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube District, marking a major milestone in the country’s journey towards first oil production.
The naming of the crude blend is expected to give Uganda’s oil a distinct identity as it prepares to enter international markets, while strengthening the role of Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) in marketing the country’s crude to global buyers.
The announcement comes as Uganda’s major oil projects, including the Kingfisher and Tilenga developments and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), advance towards production and transportation of the country’s first oil exports.
The commercial identity will be used to position Uganda’s crude in the international petroleum market as the country moves closer to joining the ranks of oil-exporting nations.
UNOC, which is mandated to participate in Uganda’s commercial petroleum activities, is expected to play a central role in marketing the crude and securing international buyers.
The Kingfisher development, operated by China’s CNOOC Uganda Limited, is one of the two major upstream projects underpinning Uganda’s oil production plans, alongside the Tilenga project operated by TotalEnergies.
Once produced, Uganda’s crude will be transported through the 1,443-kilometre EACOP to the Chongoleani marine terminal near Tanga, Tanzania, for export to international markets.
President Museveni’s unveiling of the crude blend’s name therefore comes at a significant stage in Uganda’s oil development, as infrastructure linking the oil fields to global markets takes shape.
The government expects petroleum production to contribute to economic transformation through export earnings, government revenues, investment and industrial development.
The naming of the crude also marks a shift in Uganda’s oil story—from developing resources and infrastructure to preparing the actual product for participation in the global oil trade.