Pipeline Timeline: Uganda Expects First Commercial Oil by June 2027 as EACOP Reaches 92% CompletionPipeline Timeline: Uganda Expects First Commercial Oil by June 2027 as EACOP Reaches 92% Completion
Key Highlights
- Uganda expects first commercial oil before the end of June 2027, a state oil company official said, with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline now 92% complete.
- Earlier reports pointed to first crude exports from October 2026, and the remarks reported from Cape Town do not address whether that date has been formally moved or is measured differently.
- A final investment decision on a Ugandan refinery is planned for February 2027, with completion targeted for 2030, and the crude will be marketed internationally as Pearl Sweet.
Uganda expects its first commercial oil to flow before the end of June 2027, a senior state oil company official has said, with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) now 92% complete.
The timeline matters because earlier public statements had pointed to first crude exports from October 2026. Kristina Kasebayo, head of compliance at the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), made the remarks at African Energy Week in Cape Town, according to a report carried by Eurasia Review. Mwenendo has not seen confirmation from Uganda's energy ministry, TotalEnergies or EACOP Ltd.
What was said in Cape Town
Kasebayo said first oil will start before the end of Uganda's financial year in June 2027, and described the pipeline as "currently 92% complete". First exports are expected to follow the start of production, moving through EACOP to a port in Tanzania.
"The challenge was never getting the oil out of the ground," she said, adding that the necessary agreements are now in place.
Uganda plans to market its crude internationally as Pearl Sweet. UNOC also plans a final investment decision on a domestic refinery in February 2027, with completion targeted for 2030. Uganda's first commercial oil discoveries were made in 2006.
The gap between October and June
An earlier MarketScreener report said Uganda and Tanzania expected first crude exports through EACOP to start in October 2026, a nearer date. The remarks reported from Cape Town do not mention that date, so it is not clear whether the official timetable has changed or whether first oil and first export are being measured differently.
Any slippage would defer oil export earnings at a sensitive time for Uganda's currency. As Mwenendo earlier reported, the Bank of Uganda raised its Central Bank Rate by 2.25 percentage points to 12.0% at an emergency meeting on 14 October, after the shilling fell about 11% against the dollar this year.
Regional refining plans
Refining is also on the regional agenda. Mwenendo earlier reported how Aliko Dangote offered East African governments a combined 30% stake in a planned KSh 2.08T ($16B) refinery at Lamu, with Kenya allocated 10%.
Until the energy ministry, TotalEnergies or EACOP Ltd confirm the June 2027 window, the date should be read as one official's expectation rather than a formal change to the project schedule.
In Summary
- Who made the announcement?
- Kristina Kasebayo, head of compliance at the Uganda National Oil Company.
- What was said?
- First commercial oil will start before the end of June 2027, with EACOP 92% complete.
- When is the refinery decision due?
- A final investment decision is planned for February 2027, with completion targeted for 2030.
- Where were the remarks made?
- At African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town.
- How will the oil reach markets?
- First exports are expected to move through EACOP to a port in Tanzania, marketed as Pearl Sweet.
- Why does the date matter?
- Earlier reports pointed to October 2026 exports, and no official confirmation of a changed timetable has been seen.