Uganda expects to begin commercial oil production by June 2027, with crude exports to follow through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a senior official at the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) said at an energy conference in Cape Town.
Kristina Kasebayo, UNOC’s Head of Compliance, reaffirmed the timeline during a fireside chat at African Energy Week 2026, saying the pipeline was 92% complete. The government also plans to make a final investment decision on a domestic refinery in February 2027, with completion targeted for 2030.
“First oil will start before the end of our financial year – June 2027 – which will position us as an oil producing country,” Kasebayo said.
The timeline places Uganda’s planned entry into commercial oil production about two decades after commercial discoveries were announced in 2006. The country has spent years developing oilfields and building infrastructure needed to transport crude to international markets.
Pipeline to connect Uganda to international markets
EACOP will carry crude from Uganda’s oilfields in the Albertine Graben to the Tanzanian port of Tanga for export. Its completion is a key requirement for moving Uganda’s oil to overseas buyers.
“The challenge was never getting the oil out of the ground, but having the infrastructure and regulation in place,” Kasebayo said, adding that the necessary agreements were now in place.
The June 2027 production target follows earlier delays in Uganda’s oil development programme. In September 2026, parliamentary finance committee chairman Maximus Ochai said the government had revised its timeline, with officials expecting the pipeline to be ready to receive crude by mid-December 2026.
The latest schedule remains a target rather than confirmation that production will begin on that date.
Refinery planned for 2030
Alongside exports, Uganda is pursuing a domestic refinery intended to process crude into petroleum products for local and regional markets.
Kasebayo said the government planned to reach a final investment decision in February 2027 and complete the facility by 2030.
The proposed refinery is designed to process 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. UNOC says the project is intended to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and strengthen domestic fuel supply.
The investment decision will be an important step towards construction. UNOC’s published project information identifies commercial agreements covering government obligations, crude supply and shareholders’ commitments as part of the process leading to the decision.
Uganda prepares to market Pearl Sweet crude
Uganda is preparing to sell its crude internationally under the name Pearl Sweet, a blend officially named by President Yoweri Museveni on September 2, 2026.
The name draws on Uganda’s description as the Pearl of Africa, while “sweet” refers to the crude’s low sulphur content. The Uganda National Oil Company appointed international energy trader Vitol in September to market the government’s and UNOC’s share of the crude, with exports expected to begin in early 2027.
Kasebayo said the crude grade had already received international recognition as Uganda prepared to enter the global oil market.
The country now faces the task of completing export infrastructure and meeting its production schedule while advancing plans to process some of its petroleum resources domestically.
