Uganda’s state-owned oil company, the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), announced on Tuesday that it has identified “significant” new crude oil deposits within the Kasuruban exploration block, a development that could substantially boost the country’s energy reserves.
UNOC said the discovery includes nine potential oil wells across the 1,285-square-kilometre block, located within the Albertine Rift Basin—Uganda’s main petroleum hub. Preliminary assessments indicate the new prospects could contain up to 600 million barrels of recoverable crude, though further appraisal work will be needed to confirm the estimates. UNOC did not specify the exact timeline of the discovery or release detailed geological data.
The Kasuruban block was allocated to UNOC in 2023 under a production sharing agreement with the Ugandan government, marking one of the company’s major independent ventures beyond its partnerships with international oil firms.
If confirmed, the new deposits would add to Uganda’s current 1.65 billion barrels of proven recoverable reserves, strengthening the country’s long-term petroleum outlook ahead of expected commercial production.
The Albertine region is already home to two major development projects jointly operated by France’s TotalEnergies, China’s CNOOC, and UNOC. These fields are slated to begin commercial oil production in the second half of next year, coinciding with ongoing construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which aims to transport Uganda’s oil to international markets.
Energy analysts say the new discoveries, if validated, could attract additional investment into Uganda’s upstream sector and reinforce the country’s ambitions to become a significant oil producer in East Africa. Further exploration, testing, and environmental assessments are expected in the coming months.
Source:Africa Publicity
