Museveni Commissions CNOOC Rig , Hails China, France for Not Sabotaging Uganda's Oil
chimpreports.com, January 24, 2023 | President Yoweri Museveni has thanked the Governments of China and France for not standing in Uganda’s journey to become a major oil producing country.
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| File Photo/Courtesy: President Museveni poses with some of the CNOOC workers at the rig launch Tuesday, 24th January 2023. |
President Museveni said on Tuesday that China had built a strong relationship with Africa from back in the1940s which has now grown into massive joint investments such as the oil project being run by Chinese company CNOOC in western Uganda.
YouTube Video | UBC Television Uganda: Launch of the Oil Production By CNOOC Rig | 24th January, 2023.
“Most of these companies like CNOOC are owned by the Chinese government and when they come here, they are being encouraged by their government,” he said
“We have been working with China from the anti colonial movement in the 1940, and that relationship has now grown into such economic cooperation for mutual benefit.”
On the other hand, Museveni thanked the government of France for not giving in to pressure from environmentalists who were last year pushing for stoppage of Uganda’s oil production, through different avenues including the European Union Parliament.
“France has not given us trouble. For the EU parliament we told them to go to hell but the French government did not cause us any problems,” he said.
France and China are the home countries of CNOOC Uganda and TotalEnergies Uganda Ltd which are operating the Kingfisher and Tilenga oil fields respectively in Albertine Graben.
Museveni made the comments while officially commissioning the fully installed Kingfisher oil rig in Buhuka, Kyangwali in Kikuube district.
At event which marked commencement of the oil drilling exercise in Uganda, also known as Rig Spudding, Museveni said Uganda’s economic future was bright, given her current potential in oil producing.
On top of the over 1billion recoverable barrels or oil in the Albertine region, he said efforts are underway to explore and find more oil in the region and also other regions in central and north eastern Uganda.
“This oil here is only in 40% of the Lake Albert and Edward valley. We expect to find more in the other 60% and also in other regions of Moroto and Lake Kyoga.”
Speaking at the event, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Hon Ruth Nankabirwa thanked the different stakeholders whose concerted efforts left to today’s milestone
She revealed that cabinet as well as MPs both on the government and opposition sides strongly supported the oil project.“The cabinet supported all the papers I presented while parliament helped us fast track all the necessary legislation,” she said.
“I want to thank the speaker of Parliament and the Leader of Opposition because we have been moving with the opposition on this. The activists tried to interfere but we stuck together and we have been able to put together all these legislations.”
Uganda is expected to commence production of oil in 2025 upon completion of the 1400km crude oil pipeline through which oil will be exported via Tanzania.
By Sam Waswa
Fact Checked By: Synergy Virtual Distribution Channels
RIG SPUDDING ILLUSTRATIONS
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| Illustration Image Credit/ResearchGate: Schematic layout of drilling rig rotary and draw-works drill – string electrical drives. |
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