According to DRC Hydrocarbons Minister, Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga, discussions focused on bilateral relations, the development of hydrocarbons, and access to the EACOP for the transport of crude oil which will be extracted from the Albertine Graben in the DRC.
During the meeting, Minister Ntubuanga and his Ugandan counterpart, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, established a taskforce made up of technical teams from both countries, whose role is to assess the feasibility and strategy of the DRC’s tie-in. Upon the finalization of the report, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the two countries.
The meeting follows the DRC opening of a 30-block licensing round in 2022 covering blocks in the Albertine Basin – situated on the eastern border of the DRC and the western border of Uganda. Using the 1,143km EACOP – which links the Tilenga and Kingfisher oilfields in the Ugandan side of the Albertine Graben to international markets via the Port of Tanga in Tanzania – the DRC will be able to connect directly to regional and global markets. The EACOP is on track for first production in 2025.
