Uganda has officially named its upcoming blended crude oil grade “Pearl Sweet,” marking a critical commercial milestone ahead of its planned entry into global petroleum production by the end of this year.
President Yoweri Museveni revealed the official grade name during a ceremony at the CNOOC-operated Kingfisher project site in Kikuube district, state media and energy ministry officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The moniker combines Winston Churchill’s historical description of the country as the “Pearl of Africa” with an indicator of the crude’s low-sulfur content, which simplifies refining and enhances global market appeal.
The state-owned Uganda National Oil Company and joint-venture partners TotalEnergies and CNOOC will now initiate buyer engagement, crude marketing roadshows, and refinery outreach using the new commercial identity.
Uganda holds an estimated 1.65 billion barrels of recoverable crude reserves. Overall output is projected to reach a plateau of 230,000 barrels per day once full-scale commercial operations commence.
The announcement follows mechanical completion at the Kingfisher Central Processing Facility. Exports will flow through the $5 billion, 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port of Tanga.
TotalEnergies holds a 56.67% operating stake alongside CNOOC and UNOC, though the heated pipeline continues to face intense international climate and legal scrutiny over its environmental impact.
