UNOC, Chinese oil firm CNOOC to joint apply for exploration of Pelican-Crane oil block

The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) has signed a joint application agreement (JAA) with Chinese oil firm CNOOC Uganda Ltd for the exploration of Pelican-Crane block in the Albertine Graben.

The leaders of the two companies on Thursday, 31 March 2022 signed documents regarding the JAA at the  CNOOC Uganda Ltd offices in Kampala.

UNOC CEO Proscovia Nabbanja said an opportunity to jointly apply for an exploration license emerged in 2018.

“Thereafter, we signed an MOU in Beijing, China. We are now going to jointly submit an application to the ministry of energy, including discussions expected to culminate in an exploration license for the block,” she said.

Nabbanja said Pelican-Crane block has high potential and is one of the biggest exploration blocks in the Albertine Graben.

CNOOC Uganda Ltd is the UNOC joint venture partner in the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District.

UNOC is mandated to handle the Government’s commercial interests in the petroleum sector and to ensure that the resource is exploited in a sustainable manner.

The Company is also mandated to investigate and propose new upstream, midstream, and downstream ventures initially locally and eventually internationally.

UNOC has two wholly owned subsidiaries namely the Uganda Refinery Holding Company Ltd (URHC) and National Pipeline Company (U) Ltd (NPC). URHC will hold a participating interest of up to 40% in the impending refinery to be developed in Kabaale, Hoima and manage the development of Kabaale Industrial Park (KIP).