UGANDA: UNOC, DGR Energy Granted Exploration License for Kasuruban, Turaco Blocks
Uganda’s Cabinet in its sitting of 9th January 2023 has approved the signing of Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) and issuance of an Exploration license to UNOC for the Kasuruban block and Turaco block to Australia’s DGR Energy
LR2_2019_Block03 (Kasuruban) with an area coverage of 1285km2 and LR2_2019_Block04 (Turaco); Area coverage of 637km2 were two of five blocks in the 2019 second licensing round for petroleum exploration at the 9th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition all of which lie in the Albertine Graben.
Interest in the licensing round was however poor with the country failing to get new expressions of interest received from oil companies despite a second extension of bids.
In 2017 during the first competitive licensing round Uganda failed to attract global oil majors rather attracting 17 juniors of which two firms were successful Nigeria’s Oranto Petroleum taking the Ngassa oil Block, while Australia’s Armour Energy Ltd was licenced the Kanywataba Block.
Uganda National Oil Company and Australia-based DGR global were the remaining companies under evaluation for the three remaining blocks.