The Energy Ministry of Tanzania collaborated with Ugandan energy experts to carry out exploration activities throughout various parts of Tanzania.
He said that they have started to cooperate with Uganda in the oil sector; the government has formed a joint team with Uganda to conduct oil exploration. He also said that although Tanzania has not yet discovered oil, exploration was in progress in various parts of the country.
Dr. Medard Kalemani, the Energy Minister of Tanzania, revealed the news at a recent workshop for the parliamentary committee on energy and minerals members. He said that the ministry made a joint team to carry out the oil exploration.
The minister said that they have started to cooperate with Uganda in the oil sector; the government has formed a joint team with Uganda to conduct oil exploration.
He said that that the joint team will provide the Tanzanian experts with an opportunity to borrow experience from experts from Ugandan. According to the minister, so far, Tanzania has discovered gas in the southern parts of the country. The oil exploration is in progress in various parts of the country.
The minister directed the parliamentary committee on the construction of the Hoima-Tanga crude oil pipeline. He emphasized that the talks continuous between Tanzania and Uganda over the transportation of oil.
The pipeline project from Hoima to Tanga is now known as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The recent visit of Patrick Pouyanne, French oil Major Total's chief executive and chairman, aimed to review the progress of the operations of the pipeline. He came to settle issues including the closing of the Anglo-Irish Tullow Oil's farm down transaction and resolving issues that clouded the pipeline project.
The minister said that they expected the joint meeting to end this month but they have extended the meeting to June. He also said that they have learned that Uganda has completed talks with an investor who will conduct oil drilling. He added that talks between Tanzania and Uganda on the construction would resume in May.
The minister revealed that the government decided to form the alliance with Ugandan oil experts after they discovered oil in Lake Albert. Dr. Kalemani said that the Liquified Natural Gas processing plant project is worth 3.5 billion and it would be carried out as planned. He said that the government currently negotiates with possible investors in the mega project. According to him, they have agreed to conduct discussions with one prospective investor at a time instead of assembling all of them in one meeting.
