A timeline showing key events about the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project since 2016. ILLUSTRATION BY MUHAMMED TAMALE
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) project has reached an overall progress of 55 percent. But the stringing of line pipes is only 270km so far, representing 13 percent – before the construction and laying of pipes begins, even as the upstream oilfields intensify drilling of wells to produce oil on schedule.
Executives of Eacop Limited have revealed that 2026 may be the realistic timeline for the pipeline to start transporting oil from the Albertine Graben in western Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga, according to the latest information.
Guillaume Dulout, the managing director of Eacop Ltd, informed participants at the 11th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE) 2025, that crucial components of the infrastructure are complete while others are on track for completion by the end of this year and the pipeline itself, next year.
“The project is at 55 percent. We hope in 2026 that the oil will flow from Uganda’s Albertine down to Tanga. That is our objective,” Mr Dulout told Tanzania Vice President Philip Mpango during his visit to the Eacop exhibition booth at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam.
The EAPCE showcased the region’s ongoing petroleum projects and potential, with energy ministers from the East African Community member states making pitches for their country’s oil and gas resources to investors.
Tanzania showcased its $42 billion Liquefied Natural Gas project that will be developed by Equinor and Shell, but also presented 26 new blocks up for bidding for exportation licences, while Kenya and Somalia also pitched prospects for their petroleum blocks.
Uganda, on the verge of becoming an oil producer and exporter, showcased Eacop, the largest project in the country’s oil and gas sector, as well as its upstream oilfields Tilenga and Kingfisher, in addition to blocks set for licensing and new basins being opened up for petroleum exploration.
A cross-sectional view of the Kingfisher Feeder pipeline. EACOP is set to become the world’s longest heat-traced crude oil pipelinePHOTO/NELSON NATURINDA
Dulout explained that the offshore facility, which includes the jetty, terminal and export hub of the 1443km oil pipeline linking Uganda’s oilfields to the Port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean coast is at 70.4 percent completion.
Despite not being at the pace of the upstream projects, the project’s progress defies activists’ pressure that has threatened to derail the $5 billion crude export pipeline by disrupting its developers’ efforts to secure external financing that is critical to its completion on schedule.
The completion of the high-tech oil export terminal is anticipated by October 2025, marking a significant step in the actualisation of the Eacop, the executives said.
The terminal consists of a 2.1km trestle extending into the Indian Ocean and a load out facility, being constructed by a joint-venture of Ballast-Nedam and Besix.
The facility also includes critical infrastructure such as loading pipelines, telecommunication systems, firefighting equipment, and six dolphins to support crude oil loading operations.
Recently, Musa Msafiri, the Eacop Engineer at the terminal said construction is progressing smoothly, with the storage tanks now 76 percent complete.
“Our goal is to complete the project as scheduled. While some areas of construction are in advanced stages, work is still ongoing in others,” he said.
Another component of the Eacop is the Marine Storage Terminal (MST) also located on the Chongoleani peninsula, in Tanga. It features four crude oil storage tanks, each with a capacity of 500,000 barrels.
Site engineers said construction of the tanks is progressing steadily, with three fully welded to their final height while the fourth is nearing completion. Once finished, the tanks will undergo hydro testing and nondestructive testing.
Meanwhile, the overall progress of above-the-ground installations in both countries is 48.5 percent. These include six pump stations, each of which will hold a 40-tonne facility that pumps and maintains the flow of the low-Sulphur Ugandan crude in a 24-inch heated pipeline.
Other above-the-ground infrastructures are 11 main camp and pipe yards, which are workers' camps and holding facilities for welded line piles. As of January, 1,100km of line pipes had been delivered to Tanzania, with the first batch of coated line pipes arriving in Uganda in September 2024.
The main contractor for Eacop is China Pipeline Engineering Ltd (CPP) but officials say subcontractors for different components like handling fabrication, trenching, stringing and foundation works for various systems of the project are racing against time to deliver the project before the end of 2026.
The facility’s comprehensive design integrates bulk heaters, pumps, metering systems, and utility platforms to ensure seamless operations once the pipeline becomes operational.
Eacop will position East Africa as a key player in global energy markets by transporting 230,000 barrels of oil per day at peak production, from Uganda’s Hoima District to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga Port in Tanzania, for export.
Approximately 80 percent or 1147km of the pipeline lies in Tanzanian territory, spanning eight regions, while the shorter 296km stretch is in Uganda.
The buried, thermally insulated pipeline is designed to minimise its environmental footprint while providing economic opportunities for local communities.
