With just two months to Uganda’s first oil production, the country is edging closer to joining the league of oil-producing nations after China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) carried out a high-level emergency drill to test operational readiness, which officials say has reached about 99 percent.
The government has set July 2026 as the target for first oil production.
The Kingfisher Development Area (KFDA), operated by CNOOC Uganda Limited, is expected to produce about 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day at peak production. So far, 18 out of the 31 planned wells have already been drilled and are undergoing testing ahead of initial output.
According to Andrew Mbigiti, Senior Media and Publicity Supervisor at CNOOC Uganda Limited, the drills are part of pre-commissioning activities designed to ensure safety and full operational readiness before production begins.
He said the exercise was conducted to test equipment performance and strengthen emergency preparedness systems.
The drill involved a range of specialised equipment, including fire pumps, cooling and protection systems, remote hydraulic sandblasting cutting devices, and high-temperature penetration tools designed for extreme scenarios such as well blowouts.
Engineers demonstrated emergency response procedures, including fire suppression and advanced pipe-cutting techniques used to access damaged wellheads. The exercise showcased both hot cutting methods operating at temperatures of about 4,000°C and cold cutting using high-pressure water mixed with sand.
Officials said the timing of the drill is critical as Uganda transitions from the development phase into full oil production.
Adolf Karubanga, a senior petroleum officer, said emergency preparedness reflects the overall maturity of the country’s petroleum sector.
Mbigiti added that Uganda’s oil development—covering the Kingfisher project, Tilenga, and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline—requires coordinated systems, noting that an incident in one part of the value chain could affect the entire project.
Progress at Kingfisher is now in its final stages, with the central processing facility reported to be more than 99 percent complete.
Jane Byaruhanga from the Petroleum Authority of Uganda said oil spill contingency plans are being updated to match the transition into production, stressing that such drills help identify gaps and strengthen response capacity.
Under the project structure, UNOC holds a 15 percent stake, while CNOOC Uganda Limited operates the project with 28.33 percent, alongside TotalEnergies EP Uganda, which holds a 56.67 percent participating interest.
