Uganda’s oil block surrenders: Operator failure or frontier reality?
An engineer walks towards an oil rig in the Albertine Graben, Hoima District. Three exploration blocks surrendered by licence holders are expected to be re-offered in the country's next petroleum licensing round.
As Uganda prepares to launch its third petroleum licensing round later this year, the surrender of three exploration blocks last year is prompting fresh scrutiny of the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s most successful frontier oil provinces.
Australia’s Armour Energy relinquished the Kanywataba block, while Nigeria’s Oranto Petroleum surrendered the Ngassa Shallow and Ngassa Deep licences after their exploration permits expired without a commercial discovery.
