Uganda’s journey towards commercial oil production has reached another important milestone after major pre-commissioning activities at the Central Processing Facility (CPF) in the Kingfisher Oil Field Development Area were completed.
China National Offshore Oil Company Uganda Limited (CNOOC Uganda) announced that the pre-commissioning phase of the facility was successfully completed on August 25, 2026, paving the way for final commissioning and eventual start-up of the plant.
The Central Processing Facility is a key component of the Kingfisher development and will separate crude oil from water and gas, stabilise the crude and prepare it for onward transportation. At peak production, the facility is designed to handle up to 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
CNOOC Uganda President Liu Xiangdong announced the milestone on Wednesday during the ceremony at which Uganda’s crude oil was officially named at the Kingfisher Oil Development Area in Kikuube District.
Xiangdong described the completion of pre-commissioning works as a critical stage in the development of the project, marking the transition from construction towards full commissioning and operational start-up.
The milestone comes as drilling and construction activities continue across the Kingfisher development area. Of the 31 development wells planned for the project, 22 had been drilled by the time of the announcement.
According to Xiangdong, some of the wells extend to depths of more than seven kilometres underground, reflecting the technical complexity of the Kingfisher project.
He said production from the field is expected to rise to approximately 25,000 barrels per day within the next two months, a volume expected to support the commissioning of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Once processed at the Central Processing Facility, crude oil from Kingfisher will be transported through a 48-kilometre feeder pipeline with a 10-inch internal diameter to the delivery point at Nyamasoga Village in Kabaale Parish, Kabaale Sub-county, Hoima District.
From there, the crude will be integrated into the wider petroleum transportation system.
The Kingfisher development is operated by CNOOC Uganda on behalf of the joint venture partners. TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Uganda holds a 56.67 percent participating interest, while CNOOC Uganda holds 28.33 percent and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) holds 15 percent.
Construction of the Central Processing Facility and installation of major equipment have been undertaken by the CCJV.
Among the key installations at the facility are crude oil storage tanks, sludge storage facilities, separators, fire-water pumps and storage tanks, a water treatment plant, fuel-gas compressors and super-heaters, a substation, warehouse and office facilities, a Basic Sediment and Water plant, and a truck-loading skid.
Other completed works include the installation of de-ethaniser towers, reflux drums, export tanks and reboiler tanks, as well as more than 18 kilometres of buried flow lines.
The project has also established a Lake Water Abstraction Station and other supporting infrastructure, including accommodation camps, a support base, materials yard, safety checkpoint, jetty and access roads.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, CNOOC Uganda says the project has created business and employment opportunities for Ugandans.
Local companies have participated in petroleum technical services, construction, transportation and logistics, while thousands of Ugandans have secured employment during the development of the project.
Xiangdong said the company is also working with the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK) to establish a centre of excellence that will include an ICT centre, a real drilling rig for practical training and internationally recognised certification courses.
“Thousands of Ugandans have gotten an opportunity to work on this project. This is how we measure the success. We want the knowledge, skills and experience gained here to remain in Uganda and be passed onto the next generations,” Xiangdong said.
President Yoweri Museveni commended CNOOC Uganda and TotalEnergies for their contribution to the development of Uganda’s petroleum sector.
Museveni said he was encouraged by the progress made at the Kingfisher project and the establishment of critical facilities required to move Uganda closer to first oil.
He also reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing an oil refinery, arguing that refining crude locally would promote industrial growth and create more employment opportunities.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister Dr Monica Musenero said Uganda was moving beyond simply discovering petroleum resources and was now converting them into productive infrastructure, skills, businesses and other assets capable of supporting national development.
She said the country’s petroleum programme had been guided by deliberate government policy aimed at ensuring that natural resources contribute to long-term socio-economic transformation.
According to Musenero, investments in the petroleum sector have created an integrated development programme connecting oil production with transportation, refining, industrialisation and access to international markets.
She said the immediate priority was to ensure that the substantial investments already made in the sector translate into tangible benefits, with achieving first oil remaining at the centre of government efforts.
Musenero said the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, working with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), UNOC, licensed oil companies and other partners, was focused on ensuring that Uganda begins commercial oil production as soon as possible.
However, she cautioned that Uganda should not limit itself to producing and exporting crude oil, saying the country’s petroleum resources should instead be used to expand industrial capacity and transform the wider economy.
The Final Investment Decision for the Kingfisher Oil Field Development Area was announced in February 2022, alongside the Tilenga development and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project.
Front-End Engineering and Design for the Kingfisher project was completed in February 2018, while the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was completed and certified by the National Environment Management Authority in February 2020.
The Kingfisher development is planned around 31 production wells drilled from four well pads using a single drilling rig.
President Museveni officially launched drilling operations at the field on January 24, 2023, following the installation of the LR8001 rig, which was specially designed to drill the deep wells required for the Kingfisher reservoir.
With pre-commissioning of the Central Processing Facility now complete, the Kingfisher project has entered one of its final stages before production. The focus will now shift to final commissioning, start-up and connecting the field to Uganda’s broader oil transportation infrastructure as the country moves steadily towards first commercial oil.
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