President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni officiates the spudding (Commencement of Drilling) of Kingfisher Oilfield wells in Buhuka, Kyangwali, Kikuube District. PHOTO PPU
KIKUUBE – Work at the Kingfisher oil project area can resume after its operator made required safety improvements, the sector regulator, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has said.
CNOOC Uganda operates Kingfisher, one of the country’s two commercial oil development projects.
PAU said it was satisfied by steps CNOOC Uganda had put in place during the suspension period.
“This step has been taken after rigorous examination of all standard procedures to ensure that the health and safety requirements are being robustly implemented by all contractors and sub-contractors. The Authority has reviewed and realigned the safety protocols with the operator for overall improvement in the HSE culture and practices during operations,” Mr. Ernest Rubondo, Executive Director of the Authority said in a statement.
“The resumption of operations comes after additional preliminary safety measures have been instituted, and an overall strategy on contractor HSE management enhanced,” the statement added.
Drilling of oil wells for commercial production at the field started in January, as Uganda works toward producing its first oil output in 2025 after a long delay.
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