Uganda has taken a major step towards becoming a crude oil exporter after the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) appointed global energy trader Vitol to market the country’s allocation of its newly named Pearl Sweet crude.
The appointment puts a commercial channel behind Uganda’s oil production plans as the country moves towards first exports in early 2027. Vitol said the mandate covers the Government of Uganda and UNOC’s allocation of Pearl Sweet, with the trader bringing its international marketing, trading and logistics capabilities to the sale of the crude to international buyers. Pearl Sweet was formally named by President Yoweri Museveni on September 2 at the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District. The name combines Uganda’s identity as the “Pearl of Africa” with the crude’s relatively low sulphur content.
The crude will be produced from the Tilenga and Kingfisher development areas, operated by TotalEnergies and CNOOC respectively. Together, the projects are expected to reach peak production of about 230,000 barrels per day. Uganda holds a 15% interest through UNOC, while TotalEnergies holds 56.67% and CNOOC 28.33%.
Vitol said Pearl Sweet is a medium-to-heavy sweet crude with a high conversion-yield profile and expects interest from Asian refineries. This gives Uganda a commercial pathway for placing its crude once production and export infrastructure are ready. The crude will move through the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline from western Uganda to the marine export terminal at Tanga, Tanzania. The pipeline is electrically heated because Uganda’s waxy crude requires temperature control during transportation.
The Vitol relationship extends beyond crude marketing. In December 2025, UNOC secured approval to borrow up to $2 billion from Vitol Bahrain over seven years for strategic petroleum infrastructure. The financing covers projects including storage facilities, expansion of the Jinja petroleum terminal, pipeline-related investments, refinery developments, and other logistics infrastructure.
UNOC has also worked with Vitol under Uganda’s petroleum-products supply arrangement, with the state company serving as the sole importer of bulk petroleum products for the Ugandan market. The crude-marketing agreement therefore gives Vitol a role on both sides of Uganda’s emerging petroleum value chain: supplying refined products into the country while helping commercialise its future crude exports.
For Uganda, the immediate test is execution. Production facilities, the pipeline and the export terminal must move into full operation before Pearl Sweet generates sustained export earnings. The government expects oil production to begin in the final quarter of 2026, with output eventually reaching about 230,000 barrels per day.
The Vitol appointment signals a shift in Uganda’s oil story from developing fields and building infrastructure to finding international buyers. Pearl Sweet now has a name, a production base, an export route and a global marketer. The next milestone is first oil.
