Construction of the 1 400 kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is nearing completion, marking a major step towards Uganda exporting oil for the first time.

Once production begins, Uganda is expected to pump about 23 000 barrels of crude a day. Ernest Rubondo, the Chief Executive of the Uganda Petroleum Authority, said the progress on the pipeline brings the country “significantly closer” to becoming a regional oil producer.

The pipeline, which will run from Uganda’s oilfields in the Albertine Graben to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, is the final link needed to get the country’s crude to international markets.

–ChannelAfrica–