Total gears up for investment decision

Kampala.

Oil and gas exploration company Total E & P will reach the final investment decision on the Tilenga and EACOP projects “as soon as possible”, Ms Ahlem Friga-noy, the company’s corporate affairs manager, said yesterday.
The decision which will lead to the construction phase for the projects, is a major benchmark that will bring it to its first oil.
Speaking in a phone interview, without putting a specific date, Ms Friga-noy said the first oil is expected 36 months after the final investment decision is undertaken.
About 230,000 barrels of oil are expected to be produced after that every day.
More than six years ago, Total E&P initiated operations in the Lake Albert region comprising of Buliisa and Nwoya districts (now the Tilenga project).
Ahead of the final investment decision, 25 metal workers have been shortlisted to undertake specialised training under the company’s welders training programme, which was launched earlier this year.
The welders, who form the batch of 200 students targeted for this initiative, will undergo expert training in 2G and 4G coded welding levels.
The training will also boost students’ knowledge and skills in order to meet anticipated demands in the oil and gas sector.
“The training of the welding students comes at a crucial time in the project cycle as we prepare for the Final Investment Decision. The importance therefore of these welders cannot be understated,” according to Ms Jean Yves Petit, the Total E&P integrated project representative.
A study conducted by oil companies and government through the World Bank indicates that opportunities during the construction phase of infrastructure needed for the oil and gas sector will pick up to a maximum of 14,000 Ugandans.
However, these numbers will taper and later stabilise to 3,000 people during oil production.