An aerial view of the Kingfisher oilfield's core facilities in Uganda, which passed mechanical completion acceptance on September 10. Photo: CCTV News

The core surface facilities at Uganda's Kingfisher oilfield passed mechanical completion acceptance on Thursday, marking the completion of a key construction phase at the country's first commercial oilfield as it moves into preparations for production, state broadcaster CCTV News reported.

Once production begins, the Kingfisher field is expected to help Uganda join the ranks of oil-producing countries, with peak crude output reaching 40,000 barrels per day. The project is also expected to support local employment, infrastructure development and related industries, according to the report.

Located in the Albertine Basin in western Uganda, the Kingfisher oilfield contains an estimated 560 million barrels of crude oil in place. Its core surface facilities, undertaken by China National Offshore Oil Corp, or CNOOC, include a central processing facility with an annual processing capacity of 2 million tons, four well pads, a water intake station, interconnecting pipelines and supporting facilities.

Construction presented significant engineering challenges. The project is located along Lake Albert in the East African Rift Valley, where extensive soft soil made it difficult for the ground to support heavy equipment. The project team carried out large-scale soil replacement and overcame challenges including the installation of major equipment, according to CCTV News.

During construction, the team laid 783 kilometers of pipelines and cables and installed more than 300 sets of equipment. The project also incorporates a multi-energy power supply system and wastewater recycling facilities as part of efforts to build a greener, modern oilfield.

The project has also placed a strong emphasis on local employment and skills development. More than 1,500 Ugandan employees have been hired, with local workers accounting for about 90 percent of the workforce, while 135,000 person-hours of skills training have been provided, according to the report.


Global Times