AfrOil: Development drilling campaign begins at Tilenga oilfield

The French oil major TotalEnergies has announced the start of a campaign in which more than 400 wells will be drilled at the Tilenga oilfields. Work has started amid continued opposition to the project from global environmental groups, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

“The drilling of development wells began on June 28. Over 400 wells are expected to be drilled to produce about 190,000 [barrels per day (bpd) of oil] at peak when production starts in 2025,” said the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) in a statement released to AFP.

Alex Nyombi, the PAU’s director of development and production, noted that only one rig was currently operating at the Tilenga fields, while the second rig is undergoing final tests and checks. Meanwhile, the third rig’s components are being assembled, and this unit is expected to start drilling in October 2023.

“The rigs in Uganda are designed to minimise the environmental footprint by adding sustainable technologies and practices and ensuring responsible resource extraction for future generations,” Nyombi told AFP.