Uganda’s Energy Minister Sentamu Inspects EACOP as Project Approaches 80% Completion Mark

On 14 January 2026, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Sentamu conducted an inspection of the Pump Station Number One (PS1) on the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Kabaale, Hoima District. Minister Sentamu was pleased to learn that the regional #EACOP project is nearly its 80% completion milestone.

The EACOP is 1,443 kilometers long and links the oil fields near Lake Albert in Uganda to the seaport of Tanga in Tanzania. So far, 1,400 kilometers of pipes have been laid, and 500 kilometers have been buried and backfilled.

The Project mobilized 3,500 workers in Uganda, and a total of 12,000 if Tanzania is accounted for. The cost of the project was initially estimated at USD 3.5 billion in 2017 when the project was conceptualized, but the latest figure put the project cost at USD 5.6 billion. Final Investment Decision (FID) was reached in 2022, then construction kicked off in 2023.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) took a minority stake of 8% in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project, while China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company is the main contractor.