Tanzania has officially greenlighted the construction of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,443-km heated crude oil pipeline between Kabaale–Hoima in Uganda and the Chongoleani peninsula near the Tanzanian port of Tanga. The US$3.5bn pipeline will be owned by TotalEnergies (62%), Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC, 15%), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC, 15%) and CNOOC (6%). Commissioning is expected in 2025.
In February 2022, TotalEnergies and CNOOC took final investment decision (FID) for the project. It also encompasses the development of two oil blocks in Uganda, both owned by Total (56.67%), CNOOC (28.33%) and UNOC (15%), namely Tilenga (operated by TotalEnergies) and Kingfisher (operated by CNOOC). The fields were discovered in 2006 and first oil is scheduled for 2025; they are expected to reach a cumulative production level of around 230,000 bbl/d at plateau. The oil field and pipeline projects are opposed by environmental groups over biodiversity concerns.