Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), has completed what is expected to be his final supervisory inspection of the country’s oil and gas operations in his current role as petroleum regulator.

Rubondo visited the Tilenga Industrial Area in the Albertine Graben as part of a wider assessment of Uganda’s petroleum infrastructure. He was accompanied by technical officials from PAU and representatives of TotalEnergies Uganda.

During the inspection, Rubondo reviewed progress on several components of the Tilenga development, including the 15-megawatt Tilenga Solar PV Project, which is expected to provide power support for initial activities at the industrial area.

He also toured the project’s Central Processing Facility (CPF), a major component designed to process and purify crude oil produced from the Tilenga oilfield. According to the assessment during the visit, construction of the facility had passed the 75 percent completion mark.

Rubondo acknowledged that Uganda’s First Oil target has experienced some delay from the project's original schedule. He attributed the setback largely to difficulties in moving critical project equipment to the operational areas amid regional political and security challenges.

The project operators have sought to limit the effect of those disruptions by using alternative transportation routes considered safer for the movement of equipment, helping construction activities to continue.

The Tilenga development has continued to record progress across its various work sites. Nearly 10,000 workers are currently involved in the project, while more than 230 wells have been drilled.

The number of wells drilled is already above the approximately 190 wells considered necessary for First Oil production, according to information highlighted during the supervisory visit.

Rubondo also welcomed the increasing involvement of Ugandan companies and professionals in the project. He noted that local businesses and Ugandan workers are undertaking a significant share of the construction and operational activities associated with the development.

The Tilenga inspection was part of a broader PAU supervisory tour of major petroleum infrastructure projects in Uganda’s Albertine Graben. The tour also included activities associated with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

The developments reviewed during the tour point to continued progress on Uganda’s oil and gas projects as the country works towards achieving First Oil, while project operators navigate logistical and regional security challenges.

Rubondo’s visit also comes as Uganda’s petroleum sector moves into another important phase, with major infrastructure projects advancing toward commercial oil production.