Overview

Known for many years as an area where natural oil seepages occurred, oil was first discovered by drilling in the Lake Albert area of Uganda in 2006.  This first discovery led to an extensive period of further exploration and appraisal which was completed in 2014.

EACOP is being constructed in parallel with two upstream development projects which are not part of EACOP development and investment, known as Tilenga and Kingfisher respectively.  Each development will consist of a Central Processing Facility (CPF) to separate and treat the oil, water and gas produced by the wells.  Kingfisher will have 4 well pads and a CPF with a peak daily capacity of 42000 bbl/d.  Tilenga has 31 wellpads and a 204000 bbl/d CPF.

Tilenga and Kingfisher CPFs will be connected by feeder lines to the starting point of EACOP at Kabaale.  Here the oil will be metered and then comingled into a single stream.  The Ugandan Refinery project has a right of first call to 60,000 bbl/d, with the remainder of the oil being exported via EACOP.

The pipeline route via Tanzania was confirmed in April 2016 at a summit with the East African Heads of State.  In the period 2016-2018 the EACOP route was studied and narrowed down to its final width of 30 metres, allowing to then initiate land surveys and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments.

This EACOP will be designed, constructed, financed and operated through a dedicated Pipeline Company with the same name.  The shareholders in EACOP are affiliates of the three Upstream joint venture partners (the Uganda National Oil Company, TotalEnergies E&P Uganda and CNOOC Uganda) together with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation.   Shareholdings are TotalEnergies 62%, UNOC and TPDC 15% each and CNOOC 8%.

EACOP has established a commercial and legal framework including

  1. An InterGovernmental Agreement between the Governments of Uganda and Tanzania setting out common principles and signed on 26th May 2017
  2. Two Host Governments Agreements between EACOP and the Governments of Uganda and Tanzania, signed on 11th April 2021 and 20th May 2021 respectively.  These HGAs cover matters such as Land, HSE standards, fiscal regime, Authorisations, Decommissioning and recourse to dispute mechanisms.  Where required, the HGAs are supported by legislation in both Uganda and Tanzania
  3. The EACOP Shareholders Agreement which became effective the 15th February 2022 between the four Shareholders setting out the governance of the EACOP Company.  EACOP Co is a UK registered entity, fiscally resident in Uganda.  It will pay its taxes and duties in Uganda and Tanzania.
  4. The Transport and Tariff Agreement setting out the terms and conditions for EACOP to transport oil.  Under the TTA, EACOP will receive an income in the form of a tariff charged for each barrel of oil transported.  EACOP takes custody of the oil at the flange immediately after the Upstream fiscal metering until the loading flange on the marine jetty in Tanga bay.  The ownership of the oil remains with the Upstream Shippers (Government of Uganda, TotalEnergies E&P Uganda, CNOOC Uganda and UNOC)

System Description

EACOP is a 1,443km crude oil export pipeline that will transport  Uganda’s crude oil from Kabaale – Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.  It will have a peak capacity of 246,000 bbls/day.

 

  • The first 296 km of EACOP are in Uganda and the remaining 1147 km are in Tanzania. The 24" insulated pipeline will be buried along its entire length with the top of the pipe being one metre below the surface. Once constructed and buried, the topsoil and surface vegetation will be re-instated and people and animals will be able to pass freely across. Equally the pipeline will pass under crossing points with other infrastructure such as roads, rail lines or cables.
  • Due to the physical characteristics of Uganda’s crude oil, the oil in the pipeline needs to be maintained at above 50 degrees Celsius. The oil received from Tilenga and Kingfisher will be above this temperature, and if required due to stoppage or for low flowrate the EACOP pipeline is also able to warm the oil using an electrical trace heating system.
  • Fibre optic cable capacities made available to 3rd party : This will allow to increase capacity of local operators supporting wider and faster internet connection capabilities in both Uganda and Tanzania.
  • A number of above ground facilities are also part of the EACOP system. The principle ones are the six pumping stations, 2 in Uganda and 4 in Tanzania, and 2 further pressure reduction stations and the oil terminal in Tanzania. The pipeline will also have 76 main line Block Valves installed along its length. These valves can be closed such as to be able to isolate sections of pipeline in case of need .
  • In addition to the pipeline, High Voltage electrical cables and a Fibre-Optic cable will be laid and buried along the same right of way. The fibre-optic cable will allow all data from the pipeline to be transmitted to 24/7 manned control rooms located at each end of the pipeline. Additionally the fibre-optic cable allows for temperature and vibration monitoring along the entire length of the pipeline. This allows to quickly detect and locate to within metres any anomalies such as exposure of the pipeline. Under the agreements signed with the Host Governments, the fibre-optic cable can increase capacity of local operators supporting wider and faster internet connection capabilities in both Uganda and Tanzania.
  • Electrical power is required for the pipeline's operation, both for the Pumping Stations, the Terminal operations and maintaining the crude oil temperature. In Uganda power will be taken firstly from any surplus power generated at Tilenga and Kingfisher, and then from the National Grid, the electricity being generated in Uganda's hydro-power stations. In Tanzania EACOP will have its own power generation, with generators available to support a scheme for primary connection to a series of 5 solar farms (90MWp in total capacity) and eventual interconnection to Tanzanian grid.
  • The Marine Export Storage Terminal and the Load-Out Facility is located north of Tanga port over the Chongoleani peninsula. The terminal consists of crude oil reception and storage, loading and metering facilities and a jetty extending into the Tanga bay to a water depth of 23 metres.

Construction Sequence

Pipeline integrity

A number of measures are taken during the design, construction and operational phases to ensure that the pipeline operates correctly during its 25 year lifetime. These include
  • Application of API/ASME/ASTP design codes
  • Installation of 76 remote controlled block valves along the pipeline’s length to allow to isolate sections
  • Hydrotesting of pipeline sections at 1.25 times maximum operational pressure prior to introduction of hydrocarbons
  • A 1.2mm wall thickness allowance against potential corrosion noting that internally the fluid transported is non corrosive and corrosion inhibitors can be used, and externally the pipeline is coated with Fusion Bonded Epoxy against external corrosion
  • Operational monitoring of all pipeline parameters in 24/7 manned control rooms at either end of the pipeline, complemented by operational patrols, remote monitoring and community monitoring programs
  • Inventory monitoring via mass balance and dynamic modelling
  • Use of the fibre-optic cable to monitor both for temperature changes and intrusion along the entire length of the pipeline
  • Periodic intelligent pigging in operation to monitor pipeline condition and wall thickness
  • Prior to oil entering the pipeline contingency plans for oil spill recovery and emergency pipeline repair will be developed
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