Museveni names Uganda’s crude oil Pearl Sweet ahead of first exports

What the report says

Uganda has given its crude oil grade a commercial name, Pearl Sweet, as the country prepares for its first exports. Watchdog Uganda reported that President Yoweri Museveni unveiled the name at the Kingfisher oilfield on Lake Albert, which is operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, including Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Energy Minister Monica Musenero.

According to the report, naming the crude is a necessary step before it can be priced, marketed and sold to international refiners. The government says the “sweet” label reflects the crude’s low sulphur content, while “Pearl” connects it to Uganda’s long-standing nickname, the Pearl of Africa. The state oil company, UNOC, will market the grade with the global trading firm Vitol.

The article says Uganda is nearing first oil from the Kingfisher and Tilenga projects, with officials expecting exports within weeks. Museveni used the event to argue that domestic refining should get priority and that oil revenue should be invested in long-term infrastructure rather than consumption. The government says the wider oil program also includes the East African Crude Oil Pipeline to Tanzania and a planned refinery, both central to how Uganda intends to balance exports, local processing and revenue retention.

The naming is one of the final preparatory steps before Uganda becomes a commercial oil exporter, nearly two decades after reserves were confirmed in the Albertine Graben.