Page 13 - AfrOil Week 01 2021

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

CNOOC working to protect Ugandan

wellpads from rising waters at Lake Albert

UGANDA THE Ugandan arm of China National Offshore
Oil Corp. (CNOOC) has said it is taking steps
to protect its development drilling sites from
the effects of rising water levels in Lake Albert,
sections of which lie within its licence areas in
the western part of the country. The state-owned
Chinese company is leading development oper-
ations at Kingfisher and several other fields that
lie within those blocks, originally known as
Blocks 1A and 3A.
Zakalia Lubega, the company’s head of
corporate affairs, was quoted as saying by the
Observer during a field visit in late December
that action was necessary because three of the
four areas designated as wellpads at the King-
fisher oilfield were already being affected. Thus
far, he reported, the first wellpad site at King-
fisher has been submerged, while the waters of
the lake have started encroaching upon the sites
of the second and third wellpads.
Lubega stated that CNOOC Uganda was
working to secure all four sites so that they
would remain secure in the future, even if water
levels continued to rise at Lake Albert. He did
not provide any details on the exact measures
being taken but referred to his company’s ongo-
ing and past studies of the lake and other bodies
of water emptying into it.
These efforts will add to the cost of the pro-
ject, he acknowledged, but they are not expected
to delay commercial production beyond the tar-
get date of 2025, he said. CNOOC is expected
to make an official announcement of its final Wellpad 1 is already reported to be underwater (Image: CNOOC)
investment decision (FID) on the Kingfisher
project in early 2022 and aims to reach first oil mobilise soon, he said.
36-40 months later, he was quoted as saying by Other sources describe Excel as a joint ven-
the Observer. This will put the company on track ture between Madhvani Group and Gomba
to launch development in 2025 as scheduled, he Construction Co. that has been active since
stated. 1992. The joint venture is majority Ugan-
In the meantime, Lubega said, CNOOC dan-owned, so it will help CNOOC Uganda
Uganda has already awarded a contract for con- meet local content requirements while also
struction of the well pads to a local firm, Excel benefitting from Madhvani’s regional experi-
Construction Co. This company is on track to ence and footprint. ™

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