Uganda Set to Become World's Newest Oil Exporter in Early 2027
Uganda is preparing to become a crude oil exporter in early 2027 as production from fields in the Albertine Graben is readied for shipment through a new pipeline to Tanzania's coast. The Uganda National Oil Company has appointed trader Vitol to market the country's Pearl Sweet crude ahead of planned exports.
Why It Matters
Bringing Uganda into the ranks of crude exporters will alter the list of global suppliers and open a new route for East African hydrocarbons, enabled by the near-completion of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The scale of planned flows and involvement of major international firms highlight the project's regional and commercial significance.
Key Facts
- Expected first exports: Early 2027
- Marketing appointment: Vitol appointed by Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to market Pearl Sweet
- Crude grade: Pearl Sweet produced from Tilenga and Kingfisher; sulfur content 0.12%
- Pipeline: East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), more than 90% complete
- Pipeline length: 1,443 kilometers
Uganda says it will join the global list of crude oil exporters in early 2027 as production from its Albertine Graben fields is prepared for shipment. The Uganda National Oil Company has chosen energy trader Vitol to handle marketing of the country's Pearl Sweet crude in advance of the planned exports.
Pearl Sweet will come from the Tilenga and Kingfisher developments, projects being built in partnership with France's TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). UNOC has described the grade as a low-sulfur crude with around 0.12% sulfur content. Uganda's energy minister, Monica Musenero Masanza, showcased the crude at the APPEC 2026 conference.
The shipments will move on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a $5 billion, 1,443-kilometer export route designed to carry oil from Uganda's Lake Albert area to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. UNOC says the pipeline is now more than 90% complete. The EACOP was developed under the leadership of TotalEnergies and has faced years of delays and controversy during its build-out.
Production from the Albertine Rift Basin is forecast to peak at roughly 200,000 barrels per day, while the pipeline has been engineered for an initial throughput of about 216,000 barrels per day with a potential ramp-up to 246,000 bpd. If delivered as planned, the project will enable Uganda, a landlocked country, to move crude to international markets for the first time.
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