Total Operations in Uganda

Total has been present in Uganda through its marketing operations since 1996. However it entered upstream Uganda in early 2012 on approval of a long delayed deal to acquire interests from British Tullow Oil. The company operates under its exploration and production subsidiary Total E&P Uganda Ltd.

Activities and Contracts
In February 2012 Total announced their acquisition of a 33 percent stake in license areas 1 and 2, the new Kanywataba license and the Kingfisher production license, all located in the Lake Albert region. The value of the acquisition was $1.467 million. Total became the operator of Block 1, while Tullow Oil would operate Black 2 and Chinese CNOOC the Kanywataba and Kingfisher licenses. The contracts signed were Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) signed between Tullow and the Ugandan government, part of which was subsequently "farmed out" to Total and CNOOC.

In a September 2012 statement, Total said they expected to start pumping oil from their Ugandan assets in 2017, a year later than predicted in previous estimates. The delays in approval of the development plan were due to disputes between consortium members and the government over tax bills and downstream infrastructure. The company expects initial output of around 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) from its block on the northern shores of Lake Albert, which should rise to 230,000 bpd by 2020. Total plans to invest $650 million in exploration and appraisal drilling in the country by the end of 2013.

According to E&P manager Loic Laurandel, Total is committed to extending their stay in Uganda and will seek more licenses in future licensing rounds.

=References=