Uganda Gives Environmental Consent to $3.5B Oil Pipeline
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda has granted environmental approval for a $3.5 billion pipeline to export crude oil from western fields to the Indian Ocean coast in Tanzania, despite pressure from lobby groups.
The planned pipeline, from fields co-owned by France's Total and China's CNOOC, would cross sensitive ecological systems including wildlife-rich areas, rivers and swampland that are catchments for Lake Victoria.
The 1,445 km (900 mile) pipeline, which will run to Tanga port in Tanzania, is key to landlocked Uganda's start of commercial oil production.
Uganda discovered oil in the Albertine rift basin in 2006 but production has been repeatedly snagged by disagreements with foreign oil companies over taxes and development strategy.
State geologists estimate reserves at 6 billion barrels.
President Yoweri Museveni's government has indicated production will start at the earliest in 2022.
As Tanzania had already given its approval, the Ugandan stamp means the project now has environmental impact certification for its entire length.
In a statement, Uganda's state-run National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) said it had issued a certificate of approval for the environmental and social impact assessment report submitted by Total.
Dickens Kamugisha, head of the Kampala-based Africa Institute for Energy Governance, said there was insufficient public consultation and his advocacy group would challenge NEMA's ruling in court.
NEMA's executive director Tom Okurut said the environmental authority would keenly monitor construction to ensure the health and safety of the communities, workers and environment.
Related News
Related News
- Kinder Morgan Proposes 290-Mile Gas Pipeline Expansion Spanning Three States
- Enbridge Plans 86-Mile Pipeline Expansion, Bringing 850 Workers to Northern B.C.
- Intensity, Rainbow Energy to Build 344-Mile Gas Pipeline Across North Dakota
- U.S. Moves to Block Enterprise Products’ Exports to China Over Security Risk
- Court Ruling Allows MVP’s $500 Million Southgate Pipeline Extension to Proceed
- U.S. Pipeline Expansion to Add 99 Bcf/d, Mostly for LNG Export, Report Finds
- A Systematic Approach To Ensuring Pipeline Integrity
- 275-Mile Texas-to-Oklahoma Gas Pipeline Enters Open Season
- LNG Canada Start-Up Fails to Lift Gas Prices Amid Supply Glut
- TC Energy’s North Baja Pipeline Expansion Brings Mexico Closer to LNG Exports
Comments