Uganda gears up to become oil producer

NZIZI, Uganda (Reuters) – Flanked by the rolling green hills and steep, jagged escarpments of the western Rift Valley, an oil rig prepares to drill deep into Ugandan earth.

Better known for its myriad conflicts in recent years, Africa Great Lakes region has become one of most exciting frontiers in a hunt for oil on the continent that is increasingly focused away from traditional West African sources.

Tullow Oil has three blocks in the Albertine basin spanning Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, two in 50-50 partnership with Canada’s Heritage Oil Corp..

At Tullow’s drilling site, workers in hard hats lug heavy machinery and steel girders up a rig, cast against dramatic blue-green mountains. They are changing a drill to go deeper.

“By the end of August at the latest,” he said.

Reuters