Uganda, one of Africa’s emerging oil economies, has reported nine new potential oil discoveries in the Kasuruban block of the Albertine Graben.
The Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, noting that the “significant new crude oil deposits” could substantially boost reserves in the Albertine Rift Basin.
Preliminary estimates suggest the Butiaba find could yield more than 600 million barrels of recoverable crude across Buliisa, Hoima, and Masindi districts. Unoc did not provide details on when the discoveries were made.
The Kasuruban block, covering 1,285 square kilometers, was acquired by Unoc in 2023 following a production sharing agreement (PSA) with the government.
According to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), the country’s oil resources have risen from 6.5 billion to 6.65 billion barrels in recent years, while proven recoverable reserves increased from 1.4 billion to 1.65 billion barrels.
PAU, which recently marked its 10th anniversary, attributes this growth to improved studies in the Albertine Graben.
The basin also hosts two flagship fields—Kingfisher and Tilenga—currently being developed by TotalEnergies, Unoc, and China’s Cnooc, with commercial production expected by mid-2026.
All 19 wells planned for Kingfisher have been drilled, while Tilenga is 97% complete, with 164 of 170 wells finished.
The TotalEnergies-led consortium reached a final investment decision (FID) in 2022, unlocking full EPC works and accelerating progress on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop).
Construction of the pipeline, now 75% complete, is a $5 billion project stretching 1,443km from Hoima in Uganda through Tanzania to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga.
Once operational, Eacop will transport up to 216,000 b/d of Uganda’s oil for export, making it the world’s longest heated crude oil pipeline.
So far, 1,000km of the pipeline have been welded, with all required pipes delivered from China.
Official documents from Kampala seen by Bavijas indicate that the three projects—Kingfisher, Tilenga, and Eacop—have attracted more than $15 billion in investments since 2022.
In a strategic move to further harness Albertine Basin resources, Uganda has partnered with UAE-based Alpha MBM to begin the construction of a $4.5bn crude oil refinery at the Kabalega Industrial Park in Hoima.
The 60,000-barrel-per-day facility will be jointly owned by Unoc (40%) and Alpha MBM (60%).
The refinery is expected to reduce Uganda’s reliance on fuel imports and meet regional demands.
“This oil refinery is not just about fuel; it is about Uganda producing and exporting refined products instead of importing,” President Yoweri Museveni said.
“We must stop exporting raw materials and instead add value to everything we produce.”