The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has reached a significant milestone, with overall progress now at 58%.
She shared the update while addressing delegates at the 2025 Energy Convention, recently held at the Serena Hotel in Kampala and organized by the Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals.
EACOP is the company leading the development of Uganda’s crude oil export pipeline, which will transport crude oil from Kabaale in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.
While speaking at the 2025 Energy Convention, Natasha Kassami, the National Content Capacity Building Lead at EACOP, shared key updates on the project’s progress during a session on Current and Emerging Opportunities in Uganda’s Oil and Gas Sector.
Kassami revealed that the EACOP project has reached 58% overall progress, with engineering works 98% complete and procurement at 83% in terms of the major equipment that is going to be used on the pipeline.
She also noted that nearly 80% of the 1,443-kilometre pipeline, which will transport crude oil from Uganda to Tanzania, has already been manufactured in China and shipped to Tanzania for coating.
“To date, 553 kilometres of pipeline have been thermally insulated, 233 kilometres welded, and 57 kilometres coated with 17 kilometres already buried underground.”
The pipeline’s advanced infrastructure includes six pump stations and two pressure reduction stations.
Two of these are located in Uganda, where priority foundation works and equipment installations are underway. Intelligent pipeline monitoring systems, including fibre optics and “pig launchers”, are also being installed to ensure operational integrity and safety.
Kassami further emphasised the project’s commitment to local capacity development, a central part of her role.
“As of Q1 2025, we have 2,483 people working on the project, 90% of whom are Ugandan,” she said, adding, “We’ve also hit over 8 million man- hours.”
Beyond employment, EACOP has invested significantly in national content. Since 2022, the project has spent approximately $111 million on local goods and services. Graduate training has been another major focus, with 74 Ugandan graduates sent to countries like Italy, Spain, India, and China for technical training. Many have since been employed by
EACOP contractors, including Tier 1 firms such as Worley and Kellogg.
To support local enterprises, EACOP has conducted 28 industry enhancement training sessions for SMES and 24 “Train the Trainer” programs aimed at strengthening vocational and academic institutions.
Kassami revealed that EACOP is in discussions with Makerere University to integrate energy sector knowledge into formal curricula.
Officials said the company is preparing for the pipeline’s operations phase through its Field Operations Training Academy.
So far, 141 field operators have been trained across Tanzania and Uganda, with further international training scheduled.
“Our goal is to deliver meaningful impact. From technical skills development to institutional partnerships, we’re laying the groundwork not just for a pipeline, but for long-term national growth,” Kassami concluded.