Following an accident that occurred on Friday, drilling and other operations at the Kingfisher Project in the Kikuube district have been temporarily halted.
This website has seen a copy of a letter that was allegedly released by Earnest Rubondo, the Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda.
In the letter, Rubondo instructs CNOOC Uganda Ltd to stop all operations from October 7, 2023, until further notice.
The President of CNOOC Uganda was the recipient of the letter with the reference number PAU 10/01/002.
“The Petroleum Authority of Uganda has learned about a deadly occurrence that occurred today, October 6th, 2023, within the Kingfisher project area. The incident took place today. This tragic incident comes in the wake of a string of safety incidents that have previously been brought to the notice of CNOOC Uganda Limited (CUL) by this authority.
According to Rubondo, “This trend is unacceptable because it puts the safety of the personnel in jeopardy and it damages the safety of the sector.”
Rubondo made this directive to CNOOC Uganda Limited while citing section 177 of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) Act of 2013, which states that all operations must be halted with the exception of those activities that are necessary to ensure safety and security.
He proposed that the two of them get together over Zoom on Sunday afternoon.
Although there is little information available regarding the incidents, sources have said that the fatal accident that occurred in Kingfisher’s operation area resulted in the death of at least one person.
According to the source, the truck belonged to Excel Company, which had a subcontracting agreement with CNOOC Uganda Limited to clear sites and install well pads, among other things.
TotalEnergies E&P, China National Offshore Oil (CNOOC), and the Uganda National Oil Company are working together to develop the Kingfisher field as part of a joint venture.
TotalEnergies E&P owns 56.67 per cent of the field, while CNOOC holds 28.33 per cent, and Uganda National Oil Company holds 15 per cent.
The field is operated by CNOOC Uganda, which is a CNOOC subsidiary and serves as the operator.
The drilling operations were started by CNOOC in January of this year, which was almost exactly a year after a Final Investment Decision was made.
Sources also reveal that the Kingfisher area has been plagued by a number of occurrences, in contrast to the TotalEnergies Tilenga project area, which has not been the site of any deadly accidents.
According to the source, it would appear that CNOOC Uganda Limited has not assured that the safety regulations have been adhered to in a stringent manner.
The Oil and Gas Industry in Uganda is mandated to safeguard its employees against sickness, disease, and injury that are work-related, just like other sectors of the economy in Uganda.
Amina Bukenya, the Manager of Media and Publicity of CNOOC Uganda Limited, did admit that there was an accident on site; but, when she was approached on the phone, she declined to disclose any other details. She stated unequivocally that they would be attending a crisis meeting to discuss the situation.