1. The Potential and developments in Uganda’s Upstream Petroleum Sector
Presented By
Ernest N. T. Rubondo
Assistant Commissioner/Geology
Petroleum Exploration and Production Department
At The
International Theatre, American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Convention
Calgary - Canada
19th – 22nd June, 2005

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Uganda’s Sedimentary Basins
The Albertine Graben
Developments in Petroleum Exploration in Uganda
The Petroleum Potential of Uganda
Conclusions

3. UGANDA’S SEDIMENTARY BASINS
Two aeromagnetic surveys
1980
1994
Four sedimentary Basins
Albertine Graben
Hoima Basin
L. Kyoga Basin
Kadam-Moroto Basin
Albertine Graben most prospective

4. THE ALBERTINE GRABEN
Northernmost part of the Western arm of the East African Rift System

5. EAST AFRICAN RIFT SYSTEM
THE ALBERTINE GRABEN
500Km long and averaging 45km wide
Shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo
23,000sq km (Ugandan part)
1600km from the Indian Ocean Coast

6. STRUCTURAL SETTING Three structural domains:
Northern trends in a NNE-SSW
Central trends in a NE-SW
Southern trends in a NNE-SSW
Graben and half grabens separated by accommodation zones
Extension direction: NW-SE
Central Domain: Orthogonal extension
Northern & Southern Domains Oblique extension.

7. PROGRESS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION IN UGANDA:
Early Exploration Effort
Reporting of Oil Seepages
Drilling of Waki B1 well in
1937-Anglo European
Investments Company of
South Africa.
Some shallow wells drilled in the Kibiro and Kibuku areas.
: Stagnation
Initially due to World War II
Later due to political uncertainties
1980 to Date: Consistent and Modern Effort

8. PROGRESS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION CONT’D
1980 to Date
1980 Acquisition of Aeromagnetic Data over the entire Albertine Graben
Indication of three main depocentres conducive for petroleum generation.
1985: Enactment of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act
1991: Formation of PEPD
1992: Licensing of PETROFINA
Left in 1993 without doing any work.

9. PROGRESS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION CONT’D
1993 PEPD ccommenced ground follow up surveys in the Areas identified by the aeromagnetic survey
Resulted into the subdivision of the Graben into 5 Exploration Areas
1994 Aeromagnetic Survey carried out in the Eastern part of the country

10. STATUS OF LICENSING IN THE ALBERTINE GRABEN

11. SEISMIC DATA COVERAGE
1998: 190 line km

12. SEISMIC DATA COVERAGE
1998: 190 line km
2001: 210 line km

13. 1998: 190 line km 2001: 210 line km 2003: 1600 line km
SEISMIC DATA COVERAGE
1998: 190 line km
2001: 210 line km
2003: 1600 line km

14. 1998: 190 line km 2001: 210 line km 2003: 1600 line km
SEISMIC DATA COVERAGE
1998: 190 line km
2001: 210 line km
2003: 1600 line km
2004: 390 sq. km (3D)
2005: 216 line km

15. STATUS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION CONT’D
Turaco prospect ranked No.1
3 wells drilled on the prospect
Turaco-1, TD 2487
- Identified hydrocarbons
2003 Turaco-2 TD 2963
- Identified additional petroleum bearing intervals
2004 Turaco-3
- Confirmed presence of natural gas and identified CO2 contamination at one level of the prospect.

16. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENIAL
SOURCE ROCKS
Rocks with good source potential found during geological mapping e.g. Kaiso Tonya
Good source rocks also reported in the Waki Well
Hundreds of metres of high quality lacustrine mature source rocks encountered in the wells drilled in the Albertine Graben.
KAISO TONYA SHALE

17. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENIAL
OIL SEEPAGES
Distributed along the entire length of the Albertine Graben
Kibiro
Runga
Paraa
LAKE
ALBERT
Kibuku
Kaiso Tonya
Sonso

18. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENIAL
OIL SEEPAGES
Different geochemical characteristics indicating multiple sourcing

19. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENIAL
RESERVOIR ROCKS
Excellent reservoir quality sandstones identified during geological mapping
Drilling has confirmed the presence of the high quality reservoir rocks in the subsurface
Porosities of between 20-30%

20. POSSIBLE HYDROCARBON ACCUMULATIONS IN BASEMENT

21. SEDIMENT THICKNESS

22. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL
TRAPS:
Flower structures
Rollover anticlines
Tilted fault blocks
Good potential for stratigraphic traps

23. INDICATORS OF UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL
ANALOGY
Areas in the world with geological settings similar to the Albertine Graben
Yishu Graben, China
Sumatra Basin, Indonesia
Phetchabun Basin, Thailand
Cambay Basin, India
Gulf of Suez Basin, Egypt

24. KAISO-TONYA COMPARED TO GRONINGEN AND BERYL FIELDS
Large scale relay ramp:-Kaiso-Tonya
Large scale relay ramp:-Groningen gas field, Netherlands (after Peacock et al 1994)
Large scale relay ramp:-Beryl Oil field, south Viking Graben (after Peacock et al 1994)

25. THE STRUCTURE OF THE ALBERTINE GRABEN COMPARED TO THE GULF OF SUEZ RIFT FAULTS AND TRANSFER ZONES
After McClay 1997

26. BIOGENIC GAS: AN ADDITIONAL PLAY
PRELIMINARY ANALYSES INDICATE POSSIBILITY OF SHALLOW BIOGENIC GAS IN THE ALBERTINE GRABEN
RAPID SEDIMENTATION IN THE RIFT CONDUCIVE TO BIOGENIC GAS FORMATION
REDUCTION OF CO2 COULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF BIOGENIC GAS
BIOGENIC GAS IS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE IN CANADA, USA, INDONESIA AND RUSSIA
AN ADDITIONAL PETROLEUM PLAY IN THE ALBERTINE GRABEN

27. LICENSING REGIME (LEGAL)
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ACT
PRODUCTION SHARING AGREEMENTS
EXPLORATION: MAXIMUM 8 YEARS
PRODUCTION: 20 YEARS RENEWABLE

28. LICENSING REGIME (FISCAL
OBJECTIVE IS TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT AND ENSURE EQUITABLE BENEFIT TO BOTH GOVERNMENT AND LICENSEE
ROYALTY
COST OIL
PROFIT OIL
CORPORATE TAX

29. POTENTIAL MARKETS FOR UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS
LOCAL/REGIONAL CONSUMPTION
Uganda consumed over 600,000 m3 of petroleum products during 2003 (equivalent to approximately US$ 165 million). This is increasing at the rate of 3-5% per annum
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) now spend in excess of US$ 2 billion annually.
Regional demand including Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern DRC increasing
Demand can support a medium sized refinery.

30. POTENTIAL MARKETS FOR UGANDA’S OIL AND GAS
Generation of electricity considered an option
Gas is a very clean source of electricity
Conducive to stepping up generation capacity based on demand
Current power deficit in Uganda > 100MW. Additional regional demand >1000MW and growing.
Other uses of Gas
Production of ammonia urea for use as fertilizers

31. CONCLUSION
CONFIRMATION OF THE PRESENCE OF A PETROLEUM SYSTEM TOGETHER WITH ANALOGY WITH BASINS SIMILAR TO THE ALBERTINE GRABEN INDICATE A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF FINDING LARGE VOLUMES OF OIL AND GAS IN UGANDA
THE MARKETS FOR ANY PETROLEUM PRODUCED IN THE COUNTRY ARE CLEAR
THREE OIL COMPANIES ARE CURRENLTY MAKING LARGE INVESTMENTS INVESTIGATING THESE OPPORTUNITIES
ONE OUT OF THE FIVE EXPLORATION AREAS IN THE ALBERTINE GRABEN ARE YET TO BE LICENSED

32. THANK YOU
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT EXHIBITION BOOTH NO….. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PETROLEUM POTENTIAL OF UGANDA