The Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kingdom and his team were given a guided tour of Kingfisher oil fields by CNOOC officials
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has revealed that new studies are being carried out to study the pattern and behavior of Lake Albert in order to avoid another catastrophe after the water levels at the lake rose and submerged some of the oil wells at the Kingfisher project.
The revelation was made on Thursday by Zakalia Lubega, the Head of Corporate Affairs at CNOOC Uganda Limited during a media engagement in Kwangale in which he assured the country that the recent catastrophe won’t affect the 2025 set out date for first oil in Uganda.
“We are undertaking a number of studies. We have what we call the meta-oceanic study, studying again the behavior of the lake. And because of that, there is a program to secure the areas such that in case the water levels rise in future, they don’t affect the well pads,” Lubega said.
In September, reports emerged that Werindi Oil Well, Kasemene in Buliisa District, Mputa 1 and 2, Kingfisher Oil Well in Bugoma- Kikube District, Kingfisher (Bugoma) facilities in Kibiro, Hoima District had been submerged when water levels in Lake Albert rose, leading to the unprecedented floods at the oil wells.
At the time, it was reported that such floods last occurred 60years ago and it was a cycle, but CNOOC can’t take it for granted and has instead opted to undertake studies to avert similar occurrences.
Environmental Experts attributed the flooding to upstream land use behaviors like degradation of watersheds and the recent release of the waters from the Jinja dams.
Lubega said that previously, CNOOC had undertaken hydrologic studies for Lake Albert and other water catchment bodies to the lake but the recent development required for more studies to be undertaken to avert the catastrophe in th future.
He also said there will be costs that are going to be associated with the new program, but these aren’t significant to affect the production dates.
During the press briefing, CNOOC also revealed that they need 36-40months to get the first oil because the biggest part of the project has been completed after seven years.
According to CNOOC, it has taken the company since about seven years to acquire the land where these projects are going to be situated, and undertake environment impact assessment that begun in 2013 and it wasn’t until December 2020 that the company got the certificates from Government.
“So when you compare the time that was required to go through the preparations and come up to this level, it has taken a lot of time and the time were require for construction is between 36-40 months,” said Lubega.
He added: “So we can comfortably say that the biggest part of the project development is already over. These other aspects take a shorter time and already when you have the designs, the implementation part of it is easier because somebody already has a schedule and a document they will be reading from.”
The kingfisher project is expected to produce up to 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The country is waiting for the first oil production.