His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has presided over the official naming of Uganda’s crude oil blend as Pearl Sweet at the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District, marking a significant milestone as Uganda prepares to enter commercial oil production and exports.
The name “Pearl” reflects Uganda’s identity as the Pearl of Africa, while “Sweet” refers to the crude’s relatively low sulphur content, which makes it attractive to international refiners.
Uganda’s crude is medium-to-heavy and waxy, with a pour point of approximately 40°C. It therefore requires heating to remain flowable during transportation. EACOP has been specifically designed with an insulated, buried and electrically thermal insulated system to safely transport the crude from the Lake Albert region to the coast.
Pearl Sweet will be produced from Uganda’s Kingfisher and Tilenga oil developments, with combined peak production expected to reach approximately 230,000 barrels per day. The crude will enter EACOP at Pump Station One in Kabaale, Hoima District, and travel approximately 1,443 kilometres to the Chongoleani Marine Terminal near Tanga, Tanzania, where it will be loaded onto tankers for international markets.
The 24-inch EACOP system comprises 296 kilometres in Uganda and 1,147 kilometres in Tanzania, supported by six pumping stations, two pressure reduction stations and a marine export terminal.
With EACOP now at approximately 92% completion and progressing through final construction and commissioning, the project is preparing critical systems to safely receive and transport Uganda’s first commercial crude.
The naming of Pearl Sweet gives Uganda’s crude an international market identity and reinforces EACOP’s role in connecting Uganda’s oil resources to global markets through the Indian Ocean.
