Excel Construction has commenced site clearance works at CNOOC Uganda’s Kingfisher oil fields before it begins constructing well pads, access roads and water intake points, in preparation for production of the oil and gas resources.
Excel aims to have completed the works by the end of 2022.
CNOOC Uganda, a subsidiary of CNOOC Ltd, China’s largest producer of offshore crude oil and natural gas and one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, also awarded other EPC-3 and integrated drilling services contracts.
The launch of the site development works come in the wake of the taking of the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) plus the Tilenga (TotalEnergies’ led) and Kingfisher oil development projects, recently.
“Having Excel Construction as the PC1 contactor reflects CNOOC’s adherence to the national content principles. We shall ensure that more Ugandans benefit from the oil industry,” said Chen Zhuobiao, President of CNOOC, Uganda.
Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, hailed the company’s national content aspirations, which she noted, were key to the country’s socio-economic development.
Officials from CNOOC, UNOC, PAU and Excel Construction pose with Nankabirwa (in excavator)
The Lake Albert Development Project is expected to create about 13,000 direct jobs during the development phase of the Kingfisher and the Tilenga oil fields. CNOOC will hire about 1,400 people during the construction of a Central Processing Facility (CPF) and another 300 people to build a 46km feeder pipeline for the Kingfisher fields.
At peak, Kingfisher is expected to produce 40,000 barrels of oil per day.
