Browsing: Tullow

• Uganda has moved to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) over alleged Kenya’s move to block it from importing its refined petroleum products.
• In 2016, Uganda opted to work with Tanzania to develop a pipeline to evacuate crude oil from its fields in Hoima, western Uganda.
• This dealt a blow to an initial plan to jointly construct a 1,500-kilometre-long pipeline from oil-rich Hoima to Kenya’s Lamu port, a project envisioned to cost about $2.5 billion.

Kenya’s fallout with Uganda on importing refined petroleum products has caused another rift between the neighbouring countries, threatening trade and bilateral relations.

On December 28, last year, Kampala lodged a case at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against Nairobi for blocking its plans to shift from purchasing petroleum products from Kenya to importing consignments.

Over the year, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in Uganda have picked imports from Kenya Pipeline’s depots in Eldoret …

Total Uganda has bought out the financial struggling Tullow Oil for a whopping USD575 million as the latter gears up to leave the East African market.

The buyout will be paid in part by a USD 500 million initial payment payable upon completion and another USD75 million payable when the project pact is finalized.

With completion of the sell, Total Uganda will now own Tullow’s assets on the humongous Lake Albert Development project and the even larger East African Crude Oil Pipeline project. Tullow, a British owned conglomerate has been struggling and the just inked Uganda buy out will help improve its liquidity.

The move is not due to the ongoing global coronivrus pandemic, it is rather a strategic plan that was on the table long before the pandemic begun. At the start of the year, the sale and purchase agreement had already been signed, well before the Covi-19 virus …

The East African region is closer to its Asian markets giving it a geographical edge over the other producers on the continent.…

The World Bank said that Uganda should work on the processes for the Final Investment Decision (FID) by the oil and gas firms, saying further delay will undermine the country’s economic outlook.

Delays in oil exports beyond 2024 could lead to liquidity pressures in the country warns that the released 14th Economic Update, a bi-annual publication by the World Bank.

“Subsequent delays in oil exports beyond 2023/24 could result in liquidity pressures, given the current heavy borrowing for oil sector related infrastructure that is relying on an enhanced repayment, capacity from oil exports, and especially if more non-concessional borrowing occurs,” the report cautions in its Economic outlook and risks.

Presenting the findings at an event held in Kampala, Mr Richard Walker, a senior economist with the World Bank, said that the recent termination of the Tullow deal has increased uncertainty for oil sector-related investments in the country.

Also Read: Uganda

Kenya has finally sent its first crude oil into the global market marking a major milestone in the country’s quest to become a net oil exporter.

President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the country’s maiden crude oil at the Kipevu Oil Terminal in Mombasa.

The oil tanker-Mv Celsius Riga will deliver the consignment of 200,000 barrels in Malaysia.

Kenyatta has since called for peace, warned against corruption and urged for prudent use of resources for the benefit of all Kenyans and the country.

“The government will ensure that the local communities benefit from the oil,” the Presdeint said, “I urge all those in charge to avoid any misuse of the resource that would deny others Its benefit.”

Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes said plans are underway to construct a pipeline between Turkana and Lamu Port to ease transportation of the commodity.

READ ALSO:Pipeline deal inked as first Kenyan