The Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, has tasked companies prospecting for oil in Uganda to work towards development of landing sites adjacent to the exploration sites.
Ms Nankabirwa said that there is a need to come up with a deliberate programme to ensure that the landing sites are not left behind in oil and gas development.
She made the remarks during a tour of the King Fisher oil field in Bunyoro Sub-region last Thursday.
The oil field, which is located in Kikuube District is operated by China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC).
Kingfisher field development area is spread over approximately 344km2 in the Lake Albert Rift Basin. The oil field is situated on the eastern bank of Lake Albert, which acts as a border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
While meeting Kikuube district leaders, the minister assured Ugandans that everything is being done to ensure that Uganda gets the first oil by 2025.
Kikuube district leaders told the delegation that most of the challenges in the area are associated with land which needs urgent attention.
Nankabirwa asked leaders in the region to mobilize the people to increase their production and productivity so as to benefit from oil.
Zakaria Lubega the head of communication and corporate affairs at CNOOC, said that most of the processes have been done and only a few to start the development phase at Kingfisher oil wells.
Ms Nankabirwa and junior ministers Peter Lokeris (Minerals) and Okasaai Opolot (Energy) were traversing the Albertine Graben to assess the progress in the oil and gas sector.
Uganda discovered commercial quantities of oil in 2006 and since then, many developments have taken place in the Albertine Graben such as road infrastructure like the critical oil roads, the construction of the Kabaale international airport, and acquisition of land for the refinery at Kabaale among others.