To date thirty-three (33) seismic surveys have been undertaken resulting in the acquisition of 7,580.6 line Kilometres of Two Dimensional (2-D) seismic data and 1,948.6 square kilometres of Three Dimensional (3-D) Seismic data. Other discoveries made thereafter were Waraga, Kajubilirizi (Kingfisher), Nzizi, Ngassa, Taitai, Karuka, Ngege, Kasamene, Kigogole, Ngiri, Jobi- Rii, Nsoga, Wahrindi, Ngara, Nsoga, Mpyo, Jobi-East, Gunya, and Lyec.In total the country has so far made 21 discoveries. Mputa-1 well was drilled in December 2005 and on 6th January 2006 it struck oil and was declared the first commercial discovery in Uganda. It would have taken longer and more expensive to mobilize the equipment to drill on the lake. Ugandan scientists, who basing on the interpretation of the data acquired insisted that the next wells are drilled on land in Kaiso Tonya (Hoima District) rather than the lake. For Hardman Africa, the story was better. Heritage relinquished this area but was later convinced to acquire a license in Exploration Area 3A and Exploration Area 1, along with a partner, Energy Africa in 2004. But it is important to appreciate that the focus at this time was the search for oil before options of utilizing the gas could be explored further, especially in a frontier basin where no prior discovery had been made. The technology to process this gas exists, and both gas and CO2 can be commercially viable. This good news however had mixed results as the natural gas tested in the Turaco-3 well was heavily contaminated with Carbon dioxide. This restored the hope of those that had vested their time, money and in-deed their lives in this sector. The first deep wells (Turaco- 1, 2, 3) that were drilled by Heritage in the Semliki Basin between 20 (in Western Uganda) did have positive results in terms of encountering some hydrocarbons. Their successors Heritage Oil and Gas Limited (Heritage), Hardman Petroleum and Energy Africa, licensed between 19 in different areas, undertook the more expensive seismic surveys and drilling on land and Lake Albert. These two companies although they did not do any work, they opened the door for more serious investment. Companies that specialize in exploration were licensed – starting with Petro Fina in 1991 and Uganda General Works Engineering Company in 1993. These efforts were successful and the country was able not only to attract investors but investment capital as well. The 1990s saw the acquisition of additional geological and geophysical data which was used to promote oil exploration in Uganda in International Fora. In 1984 a Petroleum Unit under the Department of Geological Survey and Mines was created and in the following year the first legislation for petroleum exploration and production was enacted in 1985. Subsequently, in 1983/4 aero-magnetic survey was undertaken to quickly identify potential areas with the hydrocarbons in the western part (Rift System) of the country. There was however renewed interest in the region in the early/mid-eighties. Thereafter, there was no activity until the 1980s because of political instabilities due to the second World War and the post-independence turmoil in the Country. This was followed by drilling of many shallow wells around Butiaba and Kibiro localities with the deepest well called Waki-B-1 drilled in 1938. Wayland who documented hydrocarbon occurrences in the Albertine Graben in the 1920s. The first assessment of the oil and gas potential of Uganda was made by a Government Geologist by the names: E.J. In Uganda, the most prospective area with potential for Petroleum is the Albertine Graben.
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