Historic Moment: Uganda’s Crude Oil Named ‘Pearl Sweet Petroleum’ As First Oil Draws Closer

By Swift Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has officially named Uganda’s crude oil “Pearl Sweet Petroleum” as the country moves closer to commercial oil production in the Lake Albert Basin.

Museveni announced the name on September 2, 2026, during a ceremony at the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District, where he also inspected progress on the project ahead of Uganda’s anticipated first oil production.

The President described the occasion as the “christening” of Uganda’s petroleum after years of exploration, investment and preparations to develop local skills for the emerging oil industry.

“Whatever you sow is what you reap. Now we are here to christen our baby,” Museveni said.

He said the name had been proposed as “Pearl Sweet Petroleum”, prompting him to ask why the word “sweet” was included.

Museveni explained that he initially associated the term with sugar before being informed that, in the petroleum industry, “sweet” crude refers to oil with relatively low sulphur content.

“I asked them, does the petroleum contain sugar?” he said, adding that Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary Irene Batebe explained the industry meaning of the term.

Uganda looks beyond current oil discoveries

The President also pointed to further exploration potential in Uganda, saying the resources discovered so far in the Lake Albert Basin represent only part of the country’s prospective petroleum resources.

Museveni said Uganda still has additional areas to explore, including parts of the Lake Albert Basin as well as the Karamoja, Lake Kyoga and Kiboga basins.

The comments come as the government prepares for the next phase of development in Uganda’s petroleum sector, with major infrastructure projects being advanced to support production and export.

Museveni urges focus on long-term investment

Museveni also used the occasion to caution against directing future oil revenues toward short-term consumption and imports.

He said oil revenues should instead support infrastructure and investments that can benefit Ugandans over the long term.

“The money will be used to do durable things,” Museveni said, citing hydropower projects, the railway and other infrastructure.

The President said such investments should create lasting assets for future generations rather than simply increase spending on imported consumer goods.

Kingfisher among Uganda’s major oil projects

The Kingfisher Development Area, operated by CNOOC Uganda, is one of Uganda’s two major upstream oil projects. The other is the Tilenga project, operated by TotalEnergies.

Kingfisher is designed to produce approximately 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day at peak production.

Combined peak output from Kingfisher and Tilenga is expected to reach about 230,000 barrels per day, according to project plans.

Uganda’s export crude is expected to be transported from the Lake Albert oilfields through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean coast.

The naming of the crude comes as Uganda continues preparations for commercial production, marking another milestone in the country’s long-running effort to develop its petroleum resources.