Kingfisher License Area

China's CNOOC operates the Kingfisher license area, which lies in the former Exploration Area 3A, with a 33.3% share. Tullow Oil and Total S.A. also hold a 33.3% share each. The field holds an estimated 300 million barrels of oil, making it Uganda's largest oil field.

Heritage Oil gained a license to the Kingfisher field in 1997 and was operator with a 50% share alongside Tullow Oil, which owned the other half of the contract area. Tullow acquired full ownership of the license area in January 2010, but the government didn't endorse the sale because Heritage declined to pay a 30% capital gains tax on the transaction.

The government repossessed the Kingfisher field in August 2010 because Tullow and former partner Heritage failed to apply for a production license in time. Tullow regained the Kingfisher license on 3 February 2012 and completed a farm-down to CNOOC, the new operator, and Total later that month.