Uganda Unveils 'Pearl Sweet' Crude Oil Blend as East Africa's Biggest Producer
Uganda has named its new crude oil blend 'Pearl Sweet', setting it up to become East Africa's largest oil producer by the end of 2026. The name combines Uganda's nickname, 'the Pearl of Africa', with the fact that the crude is a low-sulphur content oil, classifying it as 'sweet' crude.
According to Reuters, Uganda's Tilenga and Kingfisher projects are expected to reach a combined plateau production of about 230,000 barrels per day. This would put Uganda ahead of South Sudan, currently East Africa's leading crude producer, once the Ugandan projects reach their planned capacity.
The crude from these two projects will be blended before being transported through the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to Tanzania's port of Tanga for export. If achieved, this would establish Uganda as the region's largest oil producer and add a significant new source of crude to the international market.