Uganda’s nearly built $5.6bn EACOP will open a route to oil markets, but a wider East African payoff remains uncertain
The 1,443-km East African Crude Oil Pipeline was 92.7% built as of August 31 and is expected to be ready to receive crude by mid-December 2026, with commercial production targeted before end-June 2027. EACOP costs are now estimated at about $5.6bn, roughly 55% more than the $3.6bn projected before the final investment decision. Uganda discovered commercial reserves in 2006 and estimates about 6.5bn barrels of petroleum in place, of which roughly 1.65bn barrels are recoverable.
Why it matters: This matters for the briefing's theme of regional integration, because the pipeline links Uganda's landlocked oil fields to Tanzania's coast, but the promised regional payoff is still uncertain.