Uganda moves closer to first oil

The Ugandan government has invited expressions of interest from investors to develop its 30,000 b/d refinery on the shores of Lake Albert. Successful bidders will be announced in April. Mineral resources minister Peter Lokeris told the CWC East Africa Oil and Gas Summit on 8 October the government had allocated a 29km2 area of land for the project, which would be developed as a public-private partnership. In September, the government awarded a production licence to China’s CNOOC for the Kingfisher field. Lokeris said Tullow Oil and Total, the two other stakeholders in the project, would soon be awarded similar permits: “There are a number of issues which we have to agree with them. By the end of this month, we will award them the licences,” he said.