Development
‘We Cannot Drink Oil’: Campaigners Condemn East African Pipeline Project By Samuel Okiror
ACTIVISTS HAVE ACCUSED FRENCH and Chinese oil firms of ignoring huge environmental risks after the signing of accords on the controversial construction of a £2.5bn oil pipeline. Uganda, Tanzania and the oil companies Total and CNOOC signed three key agreements that pave the way for construction to start on the planned East African Crude Patrick Pouyanné of Total; Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu HasOil Pipeline (EACOP). But on san, and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda after signing agreements for the controversial pipeline. Photograph: Courtesy of Total – UganTuesday a letter signed by 38 da civil society organisations across both east African countries said the “These agreements open the way for the parties had failed to address environmental commencement of the Lake Albert development concerns over the pipeline and had steamrollered project,” Total said in a statement on Monday. “The over court and parliamentary processes. main engineering, procurement and construction Work is expected to begin this year on what contracts will be awarded shortly, and construction would be the world’s longest electrically heated will start. First oil export is planned in early 2025.” pipeline, which will move crude oil from fields The oil will come from two projects – the near Lake Albert in western Uganda 900 miles Tilenga project, operated by Total, and the to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean seaport of Tanga. Kingfisher project, operated by CNOOC, which Uganda’s crude oil is highly viscous, so it must be together are expected to produce up to 230,000 heated to be kept liquid enough to flow. barrels a day. Government geologists estimate Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, and his total reserves at 6bn barrels. Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan, However, Diana Nabiruma, of the Africa witnessed the signing of agreements between Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), shareholders, host governments, and on tariff and told the Guardian: “It is concerning that major transport between EACOP and the Lake Albert oil agreements are being signed and the companies shippers. are being given the go-ahead to award contracts Uganda discovered reserves of crude near and start developing the Lake Albert oil project. Lake Albert on its border with the Democratic “The oil projects pose major environmental risks. Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2006, and the Resources, some shared with countries such as landlocked country wants a pipeline to transport the DRC, Tanzania and Kenya, including Lake oil to international markets. Albert as well as Lake Victoria and rivers, are at 30
May-June 2021
DAWN
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