Ugandan authorities on Wednesday named the country's prospective crude oil blend "Pearl Sweet," marking a milestone as the East African nation gears up for commercial production by the end of the year.

The name was announced at a remote oil infrastructure site in Kikuube, where the CNOOC-operated Kingfisher project is located. President Yoweri Museveni presided over the naming ceremony during a visit to inspect progress in Uganda's oil and gas development.

The name is a nod to Winston Churchill's description of Uganda as "the pearl of Africa," and officials said "sweet" reflects the crude blend's low sulfur content. The Ministry of Energy said in a statement that the name "combines national identity with a commercial description" and supports future crude marketing activities and engagement with potential buyers.

Uganda is estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of roughly 1.6 billion barrels. Investors include French oil company TotalEnergies, which holds the largest stake, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) owns 15% of the projects.

"This marks an important milestone in our journey to develop Uganda's oil and gas resources for value addition and economic transformation," President Museveni said. "Through refining, petrochemical industries and the use of associated gas for electricity generation, we shall maximize the value of our resources here at home and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products."

Production is expected to plateau at about 230,000 barrels per day, with blended crude exports emerging from separate projects by CNOOC and TotalEnergies.

Project Progress and Local Impact

The naming follows a tour of the Tilenga project by Energy Minister Dr. Monica Musenero, who visited the Central Processing Facility (now 72% complete), drilling operations at the Gunya-02 well pad, and met with Project Affected Persons in Kyamandindi Village to assess livelihood restoration programmes.

UNOC said the naming marks "an important stage" in the country's transition from developing its oil resource to preparing it for the international market. In a statement, UNOC said: "For years, Uganda's oil has existed as a resource beneath our soil. It has been discovered, studied, developed and prepared for the journey from our oil fields to the world. This is the moment Uganda's crude moves from being known by what it is to being known by what it is called."

During the inspection, TotalEnergies EP Uganda General Manager Philippe Groueix said the Tilenga project had maintained "strong momentum," with thousands of workers engaged across multiple sites. Nearly 16,000 Ugandans have been employed on the project so far, according to Deputy General Manager Mariam Nampeera.

The oil development is linked to the construction of a controversial heated pipeline from Lake Albert to a port in Tanzania. The 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline is billed by its developers as the world's longest heated crude line, and will pass through forest reserves and game parks, running alongside Lake Victoria. Environmentalists have opposed the pipeline, citing the Paris Climate Agreement, and TotalEnergies has been sued in France at least twice over alleged food and land rights violations.

Musenero said Uganda must ensure that communities, workers, and businesses that have developed alongside the project continue to benefit through skills development, enterprise growth, and participation in the wider oil and gas value chain.