Uganda is moving closer to joining Africa’s oil-producing nations, unveiling a new crude blend as it prepares to begin commercial production and potentially become East Africa’s biggest oil producer.
The East African country on Wednesday named its crude oil “Pearl Sweet,” giving its future export blend a distinct identity ahead of planned production by the end of 2026.
Uganda's President Museveni explained that the name combines Uganda’s long-standing “Pearl of Africa” nickname with the crude’s low sulphur content, a characteristic that classifies it as “sweet” crude.
Uganda’s emergence as an oil producer could significantly reshape the region’s petroleum landscape.
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According to *Reuters*, the country’s Tilenga and Kingfisher projects are expected to reach a combined plateau production of about 230,000 barrels per day, with Tilenga accounting for roughly 190,000 barrels and Kingfisher about 40,000 barrels.
That production level would put Uganda ahead of South Sudan, currently East Africa’s leading crude producer, once the Ugandan projects reach their planned capacity.
Uganda’s advantage, however, will not come immediately when the first barrels begin flowing. Production is expected to ramp up before reaching the planned 230,000-barrel-per-day plateau.
If achieved, the target would establish Uganda as the region’s largest oil producer and add a significant new source of crude to the international market.
The crude from Tilenga and Kingfisher will be blended before being transported through the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to Tanzania’s port of Tanga for export.
The name "Pearl Sweet" gives Uganda’s crude a recognisable identity as it prepares to enter the global oil trade, joining a range of established African crude grades that are marketed under distinctive names.
Nigeria, for instance, has several export grades, including Bonny Light, Qua Iboe, Forcados and Bonga, while Angola markets grades such as Girassol and Dalia.
Other African producers also have named grades, including Chad’s Doba and Equatorial Guinea’s Zafiro.
The CEO of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Proscovia Nabbanja said the naming ceremony marks the next phase of Uganda’s oil project as it brings its crude to the market and builds long-term relationships with refiners and traders.
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Lynda Biribonwa, chair of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, said the government would continue prioritising local content as production begins, turning the country’s oil resources into skills, businesses, infrastructure, technology and broader economic growth.
For Uganda, however, Pearl Sweet marks more than the branding of a new crude grade. It comes as the country moves toward its long-awaited transition from oil discovery and development to commercial production and exports.
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