Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) is a state-owned entity, incorporated as a limited liability company on June 12, 2015, under the Companies Act of 2012. It was established under Section 42 of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) Act and Section 7 of the Petroleum (Refining, Conversion, Transmission, and Midstream Storage) Act, both enacted in 2013. UNOC’s primary role is to manage the Government of Uganda’s commercial interests in the petroleum sector, ensuring that the country’s resources are exploited sustainably.
UNOC is wholly owned by the Government of Uganda, with shareholding split between the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development (51%) and the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (49%). The company’s mandate is to manage state participation in the petroleum sector, explore new ventures in upstream, midstream, and downstream operations, and develop expertise in the oil and gas industry. It also engages in joint ventures where it holds interests on behalf of the state.
UNOC operates through two subsidiaries; the Uganda Refinery Holding Company Ltd (URHC) and the National Pipeline Company (U) Ltd (NPC). URHC manages a 40% interest in the planned refinery at Kabaale, Hoima, which is part of the Kabaale Industrial Park. This facility includes the refinery, Hoima International Airport, and a petrochemical hub. NPC holds a 15% interest in the 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and oversees the development of storage terminals, pipelines, and downstream supply chains.
Uganda’s confirmed petroleum resources are estimated at 6.5 billion barrels of Stock Tank Oil Initially In Place (STOIIP), with recoverable volumes ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 billion barrels. In the upstream sector, UNOC manages state participation in production licenses and explores new petroleum opportunities. In the midstream sector, through its subsidiaries, UNOC plays a key role in refining, pipeline development, and managing strategic oil reserves.
In the downstream sector, UNOC is tasked with developing, managing, and operating storage terminals, as well as maintaining strategic fuel reserves to ensure national energy security. This is executed primarily through the NPC, which also manages the country’s participation in the EACOP project.
A significant milestone in UNOC’s recent activities occurred on September 30, 2024, with the arrival of the first delivery of nine trucks loaded with coated line pipes for the EACOP project at a site in Kyotera District. The project, which will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Hoima Terminal to Tanzania’s Tanga Port for export, has made substantial progress, with 800 kilometers of line pipes received and currently being coated and insulated in Tanzania.