The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has given the green light for the Kingfisher Development Area (KFDA) in Kikuube District to resume operations after a temporary suspension. This decision followed a thorough evaluation of safety procedures to ensure strict compliance with health and safety requirements by contractors and sub-contractors.
Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director of the PAU, stated that the resumption of activities at Kingfisher Oil Development Field is contingent on the rigorous enforcement of health and safety regulations. The PAU has also undertaken a comprehensive review and realignment of safety protocols in collaboration with the operator to enhance overall health, safety, and environmental practices during operations.
As of now, the progress of works at the Kingfisher Oil Development Field has reached 53%. A press release by Gloria Ssebikari, the corporate affairs manager, disclosed that the resumption of operations follows the implementation of additional preliminary safety measures and an enhancement of the contractor’s health, safety, and environmental (HSE) management strategy. The PAU is confident that these measures, once executed, will ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals involved in the oil and gas operations.
Amina Bukenya, the corporate affairs manager at China National Oil Offshore Corporation (CNOOC Uganda), has affirmed that the completion timeline will remain unaffected, and they are committed to ensuring the implementation of the agreed-upon safety procedures.
In related developments, on Thursday, His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, along with a delegation from the Interreligious Council of Uganda, conducted a tour of various oil projects. However, their visit to Kingfisher was postponed due to the temporary suspension of operations following a tragic lorry truck accident that resulted in the loss of an employee’s life.
The PAU had directed CNOOC Uganda to halt all operations at the Kingfisher field on Saturday, October 7, after a security guard lost his life in an accident at the camp gate of Excel Construction Company, a sub-contractor operating in the Kingfisher oil field in Buhuka, Kyangwali sub-county.
