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Uganda struck oil in the Albertine Graben in 2006 and reached the Financial Investment Decision (FID) in February 2022. Since then, much work has been ongoing on the needed production and enabling infrastructure in the Albertine Graben oil fields and on the 1443km USD5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). A lot of background work on the 60,000 barrels per day refinery is also on course.
Since FID, USD7.14 billion has been approved for investment, and USD1.914 billion (36%) of this has been committed to Ugandan companies. This is much closer to the 40% national content target for this phase, creating some 13,821 jobs for Ugandans—an equivalent of 93%.
There are also fresh exploration activities with petroleum exploration licences over the Ngassa Shallow Play and Ngassa Deep Play Contract Areas (CAs) awarded to Oranto Petroleum Limited (OPL). Armour Energy Uganda Limited has completed preliminary surveys over the Kanywataba Contract Area and plans to drill an exploration well, which is on course. DGR Global Limited of Australia was awarded an exploration license over the Turaco area (635 sq. km). The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) was granted an exploration licence over the Kasuruban area (1285 sq. km) on 2nd February 2023 and has two years to conclude preparatory surveys and drill a new well in the following two years.
Amidst all this intensive progress and action, significant skill and talent have been created over time. CEO East Africa Magazine recently highlighted the 100 oil and gas leaders and executives spearheading this action across government, the private sector, and civil society.
Over the coming weeks, we will individually be shining a light on each of these executives and the role they are playing.
Today, we focus on Sandra Mwesigye Mago, the Deputy Head of Legal & Commercial at CNOOC Uganda Limited (CUL), a subsidiary of Chinese oil major China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC International), a subsidiary of CNOOC Limited.
CNOOC Uganda operates the Kingfisher Development Area Project (KFDA) on behalf of the Joint Venture Partners (JVPs) comprising TotalEnergies E&P Uganda (TEPU), which owns the majority participating interest of 56.67%, Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) with 15%, and CNOOC with 28.33%.
CNOOC also owns 8% of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), the 1,443 km Uganda–Tanzania crude oil pipeline. Other shareholders in the pipeline are TotalEnergies (62%), UNOC (15%) and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation- TPDC (15%).
Sandra has over 15 years of legal practice in the private and public sectors. She began her legal career at Tumusiime Kabega & Co Advocates before joining the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs for 6 years. She later joined CNOOC Uganda Limited, where she is now the Deputy Head of Legal & Commercial.
In her role, she handles the oil major’s legal, compliance, commercial and land acquisition functions. She also supervises the litigation matters against the company and provides legal advice on various project aspects.
She has participated in the successful negotiation of two production-sharing agreements with new investors in Uganda’s nascent oil industry, the negotiation of critical upstream project agreements such as UNOC to support Ugandan state participation in the upstream projects as well as the negotiation of key contracts that unlocked the Final Investment Decision in 2022 signifying the commitment of the oil companies to invest close to US$ 10 billion to develop Uganda’s oil and gas resources.
She has also supported negotiations with the refinery investors, negotiations for project financing for EACOP, negotiations with key EPC contractors delivering the required facilities to enable successful First Oil, and support for the LPG project that will help Uganda’s energy transition efforts and climate change mitigation through reducing reliance on biomass for energy.
Sandra is a member of the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative Uganda, an industry segment which promotes the open and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources.
She is an enrolled advocate with a Master’s degree in oil & gas law from the University of Aberdeen, UK, a Diploma in legal practice, and a Bachelor of law from the University of Kent, UK.
She is a member of the Uganda Law Society, Association of International Energy Negotiators and Women in Energy and Extractives Network.
She is passionate about promoting equality and female participation in the extractives industry.
For a comprehensive CEO East Africa Magazine of the top 100 oil and gas leaders in Uganda⏤ government policymakers, regulators and decision-makers, oil companies, subject matter experts, contractors and civil society ⏤working day and night to make this historic moment a reality, please follow this link: https://www.ceo.co.ug/ugandas-oil-gas-industry-comes-of-age-meet-the-100-oil-and-gas-leaders-driving-the-race-to-first-oil/
#WomenFixingUganda #100UGOilandGasLeaders