The EPC3 project of the Kingfisher Oil Field in Uganda, which was invested in and developed by China National Offshore Oil Corporation, achieved mechanical completion on September 10, marking the end of the oil field's core construction work and ushering it into a preparation stage for production.
Once operational, the oil field, Uganda's first commercial oil field and also a key China-Africa energy cooperation initiative, will make the nation an oil-producing country.
The EPC3 project is located in western Uganda's Lake Albert basin. It has a central processing plant with an annual capacity of 2 million metric tons, four cluster well pads, a water intake station, inter-site pipelines and other supporting infrastructure, such as a compound that can house 1,000 people. The project team has built a 75,000-square-meter camp, laid 83 kilometers of pipelines and over 700 km of cables, installed more than 300 sets of various equipment, and transported over 43,000 tons of equipment and materials across borders.
The EPC3 project is constructed at the bottom of the East African Rift Valley, where the ground is extensively covered by soft soil and is unable to support heavy machinery. To address this problem, the project team excavated a core area nearly the size of 14 football fields down to gravel-bearing strata with a maximum depth of 9 meters, and then placed more than 1.2 million cubic meters of fill materials on it. This made possible the secure installation of over 130 sets of heavy equipment, laying a solid foundation for long-term safe and stable operation of the oil field.
The EPC3 project adopted a complementary power supply system integrating photovoltaic solar energy, the national grid and emergency diesel generation. It is also equipped with a wastewater recycling system to ensure zero discharge into the lake.
The central processing plant used an enclosed ground flare to substantially reduce noise and light pollution. A facility that can annually recover 20,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas is also constructed to convert associated gas into clean energy.
In addition, the project team has rolled out multi-faceted public welfare programs, including education support, free medical clinics and livelihood assistance. The project has employed more than 1,500 Ugandan workers, achieving a staff localization rate of over 90 percent.
Upon full operation, the oil field is expected to produce up to 40,000 barrels of crude oil daily, boosting local employment, infrastructure development and the growth of related industries.
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