Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, prime minister of Uganda, has welcomed the commissioning of the Kingfisher Access Road, which connects western Ugandan oil fields, as an important milestone in the countrys development
The road was opened by Dr Rugunda and he said that the road is essential for the development of the Kingfisher oil field, adding that he is "pleased that CNOOC fast-tracked its construction". It is expected that the field will be ready for production by the 2018/2019 financial year.
As well as the new access road, Dr Rugunda cited other examples of how Uganda is working to develop the petroleum sector "in a strategic and consistent manner". This includes training Ugandans in petroleum studies, and using data collated by scientists to attract investment. He added that companies such as CNOOC, Uganda Limited, Tullow and TOTAL already have a presence in the country.
"These companies have invested close to US$4 bn," said Dr Rugunda. "Consequently, 6.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent has been discovered in 21 oil and gas fields in the country, with Kingfisher being one of these."
