CNOOC set to start drilling later this year
Hoima District chairman George Bagonza (R) shows a CNOOC official around at Buhuka landing recently. PHOTO BY FRANCIS MUGERWA
What you need to know:
Infrastructure. CNOOC officials presented their development plans to Hoima District authorities.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Uganda Ltd is set to start its oil drilling activities in Hoima District later this year.
The firm has presented its planned activities to the district authorities indicating their intentions to construct an access road in Kyangwali Sub-county, from Ikamiro Village, through the Albertine escarpment to Buhuka landing site.
The Kingfisher field can only be accessed by water since vehicles cannot descend or ascend the sharp 4-kilometres-long Albertine rift valley.
CNOOC officials last week said they are negotiating with the Ugandan government and sourcing for consultants for the project.
The CNOOC presentation to the district further indicated that the company plans to carry out seismic surveys to obtain data about the oil deposits in its area of operation. The 2D and 3D seismic surveys are used in oil operations to interpret large-scale subsurface geological structural features.
The planned activities were jointly presented by Mr Good Kaija, a CNOOC community liaison officer, Mr Zakalia Lubega, the corporate social responsibility manager and Mr Xianmin Chen, the head of the company’s legal and commercial department.
CNOOC which hit a dry well at its Kanywataba prospect in Ntoroko District in July, is in Hoima where it will develop the Kingfisher oil field whose commercial oil deposits are already proven.
The kingfisher 1, 2 and 3 oil wells which were discovered by Heritage oil, are located on the shores of Lake Albert on a tiny fishing village inhabited mainly by fishermen and a few pastoralists.
Heritage sold its interests to Tullow oil and CNOOC obtained the interests after Tullow farmed down part of its interests to CNOOC and Total in 2012.
