Uganda’s Oil Reserves Rise to 6.65 Bn Barrels, says Nankabirwa.

The oil sector’s development — including two central processing facilities at Kingfisher and Tilenga — is expected to unlock billions in ancillary investment and generate thousands of jobs

Kampala: Uganda’s proven oil reserves have risen to 6.65 billion barrels, up from 6.4 billion, as the East African country pushes toward its long-delayed goal of first oil in 2026, Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said while receiving the Petroleum Authority of Uganda’s 2025/26 annual report in Kampala.

Nankabirwa said recoverable reserves — the portion technically and economically feasible to extract — climbed from 1.4 billion to 1.65 billion barrels, with estimated reserves now at 1.04 billion barrels.

“Uganda’s oil barrels in place have increased from 6.4 billion to 6.65 billion, with recoverable reserves rising from 1.4 billion to 1.65 billion barrels,” she told reporters.

The higher figures signal continued progress in the country’s nascent oil industry led by TotalEnergies SE and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), which hold development licenses for the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects respectively.

Both firms have invested billions of dollars in upstream and midstream infrastructure to prepare for production.

Uganda is banking on the 1,445-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) — set to become the world’s longest heated pipeline — to transport crude from the Lake Albert region to Tanga, Tanzania, for export.

Oil development

Construction is about 90% complete, according to the Energy Ministry, a milestone that clears the way for the planned 60,000-barrel-per-day Hoima refinery, the first of its kind in the region.

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The oil sector’s development — including two central processing facilities at Kingfisher and Tilenga — is expected to unlock billions in ancillary investment and generate thousands of jobs.

Uganda’s government projects that oil revenues will help diversify the economy and boost infrastructure financing once commercial output begins.

Uganda discovered its oil deposits in 2006, but production has faced repeated delays due to financing, environmental, and logistical hurdles.

The latest reserve upgrade comes as authorities seek to reassure investors that the country remains on track for first oil by 2026.