Uganda Names Export Crude Blend Pearl Sweet As Oil Industry Moves Toward Production

Uganda has named its export crude blend “Pearl Sweet”, giving the country’s emerging oil industry a commercial identity as it prepares to enter international energy markets.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni unveiled the name on Wednesday at the Kingfisher Development Area in western Uganda.

The crude will be marketed as an identifiable grade, allowing refiners, traders and other industry participants to distinguish its origin and characteristics.

“Pearl” refers to Uganda’s long-standing description as the “Pearl of Africa”, while “Sweet” refers to the crude’s relatively low sulphur content, a characteristic that can make it attractive to refiners.

The blend is classified as medium-light, with an API gravity of between 28 and 31 degrees, according to officials. Higher API gravity generally indicates a lighter crude that can yield a greater proportion of lighter petroleum products, although the commercial value of a crude also depends on factors including sulphur content and market conditions.

Speaking at the naming ceremony, Museveni said Uganda had sought to develop its oil industry in a way that would maximise domestic economic benefits.

“What you sow is what you reap,” Museveni said, referring to the government’s strategy to develop the country’s oil industry domestically.

He said refining crude oil locally would support the economy and help protect the environment, adding that Uganda had prohibited gas flaring.

“Oil is a finite resource, and its benefit must be for future generations,” Museveni said.

Uganda’s petroleum resources could significantly transform the economy if managed strategically and linked to industrial development, he said.

“The petroleum industry would push us very far,” Museveni said, referring to a planned refinery that is expected to produce fuel for vehicles, aviation fuel and other petroleum products.

“So, what is happening here is not a joke. It will have a lot of implications,” he added.

Museveni said Uganda’s oil resources should not be viewed solely as an export commodity but as an opportunity to develop industries and strengthen the country’s productive capacity.

Uganda has confirmed about 6.5 billion barrels of oil resources in the Lake Albert region, of which about 1.65 billion barrels are estimated to be recoverable, according to government figures.

Museveni said only about 40% of Lake Albert had been explored.

“The 6.5 billion barrels of oil that were confirmed only cover 40% of Lake Albert. We still have 60% to explore,” he said.

Museveni thanked oil-sector partners including TotalEnergies and CNOOC for their contribution to Uganda’s petroleum development. He praised CNOOC for the pace of its work and urged other partners to accelerate their activities.

“I want to thank CNOOC here because they have moved very fast. I want the others to also work very fast,” he said.

The president also reiterated that Uganda would not flare associated gas from the Kingfisher field. Instead, the gas will be used to generate electricity and produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking, he said.

“Here, we said no to flaring gas. We shall be using the gas to generate electricity, up to 80 megawatts at Kingfisher alone,” Museveni said.

“The other gas will be condensed and turned into liquefied petroleum gas for cooking,” he added.

Energy and Mineral Development Minister Monica Musenero Masanza said the naming of Pearl Sweet marked an important step as Uganda prepares to begin oil production.

“Uganda’s oil journey is anchored on efficiency, responsibility and ensuring that our resources create lasting value for Ugandans,” she said.

The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) Chairperson Lynda Biribonwa said Uganda’s oil resources should be used to develop skills, enterprises, infrastructure and technology, while supporting industrialisation and energy security.

Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Chief Executive Proscovia Nabbanja said the new name would help establish the crude as a recognisable traded grade and support the company in building relationships with refiners and traders.

The Chinese ambassador to Uganda, Wu Guangrong, reaffirmed China’s commitment to bilateral cooperation with Uganda, including in oil and gas, trade, infrastructure and investment.

He said cooperation should extend beyond resource extraction to include capacity building, employment, local content and industrial development.

Crude from the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects will be combined at the Kabaale Shared Facilities in Hoima before being transported through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,443-km heated export pipeline to Tanzania’s Tanga port.

The Lake Albert development is centred on the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects. Tilenga, operated by TotalEnergies EP Uganda, is designed to reach peak production of about 190,000 barrels per day.