Overview:
Engineers begin critical pump testing for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Discover how 12,000 workers are preparing the 1,443-kilometer facility for first oil.
TANZANIA — Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa has commenced a five-day fact-finding mission to inspect East African Crude Oil Pipeline facilities as construction enters its peak phase.
Nankabirwa, accompanied by officials from the Uganda National Oil Company, the energy ministry and EACOP, is assessing the readiness of infrastructure ahead of the first oil production expected in July.
On the first day of her visit, Nankabirwa met with her Tanzanian counterpart, Deogratius Ndejembi, and officials from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority.
In a communique shared by UNOC, Nankabirwa said the visit is intended to allow her ministry to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation status. She emphasized the strategic role of the pipeline in transporting crude oil to international markets and strengthening regional energy trade.
Ndejembi described the project as a flagship regional integration initiative, noting Tanzania’s role in facilitating land access, regulatory approvals and financing.
The visit comes as civil works hit a peak period, with engineers testing the pumps that will push oil through the 1,443-kilometer pipeline. At the marine storage terminal in Tanga, Tanzania, four oil tanks have been erected and hydro-tested, with thermal insulation ongoing to detect and seal leakages.
According to a project status report, the overall EACOP project was 79 percent complete as of Dec. 31, 2025. Land acquisition is finished, and all pipes were coated in Tanzania by late December.
The report indicates pipeline construction alone stands at 62 percent, with more than 1,400 kilometers welded and 500 kilometers buried. The jetty, which will load Ugandan crude onto global vessels, is more than 86 percent finished and is expected to be ready in the second quarter of 2026.
Commissioning activities, led by a joint venture between the United Kingdom firm Kent Energies and the Ugandan company Inspecta Africa, will run through March 2025. Testing will occur at Pump Station 1 in Hoima, Uganda, and at stations in Tanzania.
In addition to oil revenue, Uganda is expected to earn money by exporting electricity to power the pipeline facilities. Most of the power will be sourced from Uganda to maintain crude oil temperatures and operate the pumping stations.
The project is targeting a start-up date of July 31, 2026, with the first oil tanker expected to load in Tanga in October 2026.