How pressure on oil refinery, pipeline pushed Uganda to agree to end secret deals Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | For ten years, civil society has been trying and failing to push the government to join the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global mechanism that requires governments and companies …
Read More »Nigeria: African giant struggling with poverty, unrest
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria, which elects a new president on February 16, is Africa’s most populous nation and leading oil producer but is dogged by poverty and insecurity. – People and penury – More than 190 million people live in the West African nation. The UN estimates it …
Read More »EITI : Uganda opens up to contract transparency in oil
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cabinet last week made a decision for Uganda to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative-(EITI). Government Spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo said cabinet agreed to join the initiative as part government’s commitment to accountability and transparency in the oil and gas sector. Ofwono’s revelation drew minimal media …
Read More »Major DR Congo oil deal could be ‘void’: watchdog
Paris, France | AFP | A major deal allowing a company to drill for crude reserves in areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo bordering Africa’s largest protected rainforest may contravene the country’s own oil law, a watchdog said Friday. The transparency group Global Witness said that an agreement signed in …
Read More »Uganda needs usd 20bn to complete oil processing facilities
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda needs to up to USD 20 billion (7.4 trillion Shillings) to achieve its first oil by 2021, according to the Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary Robert Kasande. The money according to Kasande will cater for upstream developments which include Central Processing Facilities (CPFs) and pipelines …
Read More »Kadaga questions oil production timeline changes
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has questioned the recurring changes in timelines for achieving Uganda’s first oil, which was recently pushed to 2022. Kadaga’s inquiry was in response to a presentation by Energy Minister Irene Muloni indicating that that Uganda was likely to …
Read More »Saudi Arabia hopes to lure over $425 bln in investments
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia on Monday launched an ambitious programme which it hopes will attract $427 billion in investments in the industrial and logistics sectors, as the OPEC kingpin bids to reduce dependence on oil. To kickstart the 12-year programme, the Gulf state announced the signing …
Read More »Uganda, Tanzania set new deadline for oil pipeline agreement
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda and Tanzania have agreed to complete and sign a Host Government Agreement for the East Africa crude oil pipeline by end of June this year. The new deadline comes after week-long negotiations between Ministers from Tanzania and Uganda. The protracted negotiations at Kampala …
Read More »Venezuela, an impaired oil giant
Paris, France | AFP | Venezuelan oil output has plunged by more than half in 30 years but the country still sits on the world’s biggest crude reserves, so any political changes will ripple worldwide. The country holds 17.9 percent of proven oil reserves, ahead of Saudi Arabia at 15.7 percent, …
Read More »Tanzanian delegation in Uganda for crude oil pipeline negotiations
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan and Tanzanian officials are meeting in Kampala for another round of negotiations on the Host Government Agreement for the East Africa Crude Oil pipeline. Sources at the Energy Ministry have indicated to URN that about four Ministers from Tanzania are already in Uganda for …
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