Tanzania, Uganda regulators ink strategic oil, gas MoUs
UGANDA: THE Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), Zanzibar Petroleum Regulatory Authority (ZPRA) and the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen collaboration in oil and natural gas exploration, development and production.
The MoUs were signed in Entebbe, Uganda, at a recent ceremony attended by leaders and experts from the three regulators, including the Chairman of PURA Board of Directors, Mr Halfan Halfan and the chairperson of PAU Board of Directors, Ms Lynda Biribonwa.
Among other dignitaries present were PURA Director General Eng Charles Sangweni, PAU Executive Director Engineer Ernest Rubondo and ZPRA Managing Director of, Eng Muhammed Said.
According to the signed agreement, PURA, PAU and ZPRA agreed to cooperate in areas such as oil and gas resource management, petroleum data management and cost auditing.
Other areas of collaboration include community participation in oil and gas projects, health, safety and environment (HSE), as well as the formulation of laws, regulations and guidelines related to the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PURA Board Chairman Mr Halfan emphasised that exchanging experience and building institutional capacity among the three authorities is crucial for the growth of the oil and gas industry in Tanzania and Uganda.
“Through this agreement, it is evident that exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas in our countries will be significantly strengthened,” said Halfan.
On her part, PAU Board Chairperson Ms Biribonwa underscored the importance of regulatory bodies working together to ensure the sustainable development of oil and gas resources in the East African region.
The signed deals mark a continuation of the strategic partnership between Tanzania and Uganda in the energy sector, as the two neighbouring countries are currently implementing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
The pipeline will transport oil produced from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania where the oil will then be sold onwards to global markets.
EACOP runs 1,443km from Kabaale, Hoima District in Uganda to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port in Tanzania. 80 per cent of the pipeline is in Tanzania.
EACOP is considered as a crucial infrastructure for Uganda to unlock value from its own natural resources and represents a significant inward investment of some 4 billion US dollar across both Uganda and Tanzania, thus value creation is also extended to Tanzania.
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The new corridor linking the two countries will bring benefits, including the development of new infrastructure, logistics and technology transfer as well as improving the livelihoods of communities along the route.
