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Update: Tilenga oil rigs on course
The Final Investment Decision for the Albertine oil projects and the East African Crude oil pipeline could have come on February 1 but it is clear the decision was made already that the investment would be made.
The Final Investment Decision for the Albertine oil projects and the East African Crude oil pipeline could have come on February 1 but it is clear the decision was made already that the investment would be made.
Of the several rigs that are destined for the Tilenga project by Total, drilling rig construction is already at 55 percent complete, according to the Total Energies Uganda country manager Philippe Groueix, who shared on his Linkedin page.
“Drilling rig construction for Tilenga project is progressing well. Construction progress for Rig 1 is at 55 percent and we are on track for delivery as planned,” he posted.
The rig is expected to start operating in October, which spells out a number of opportunities for Ugandans, especially in the logistical sector in terms of providing transport.
What however does a drilling rig do?
A rig is a massive structure that houses equipment used to drill into the ground, in this case, to reach oil.
The Tilenga area already has proven oil reserves meaning that this particular rig deployment is for extraction as opposed to earlier rigs, which were for prospecting.
Tilenga is one of the two major project areas together with Kingfisher.
It is operated by Total Energies and Kingfisher by China National Offshore Oil Corporation.
The two, besides the crude oil pipeline, which is the third project, constitute the current development stage.
Government and partners, including Total Energies and CNOOC last week signed the Final Investment Decision.
