Uganda unveils Pearl Sweet crude blend

Uganda has formally named its export crude oil blend Pearl Sweet as the country moves toward commercial production. President Yoweri Museveni unveiled the name on September 2, 2026, during a ceremony at the Kingfisher development area. The naming gives Uganda’s future crude exports a distinct commercial identity as preparations continue to bring first oil to market.

Pearl Sweet represents the crude stream that will be exported from Uganda once upstream production and associated infrastructure are fully operational. The brand is intended to cover all export barrels moved through the national export system rather than crude from a single field.

Pearl Sweet will be created by comingling processed crude from the Tilenga and Kingfisher developments. The blending will take place at the Kabaale Shared Facilities, where production from the two projects will be combined into a single export-grade stream.

Project plans indicate that peak combined production from Tilenga and Kingfisher is expected to be about 230,000 barrels per day. Within this total, Tilenga is designed to produce roughly 190,000 barrels per day, while Kingfisher is planned at about 40,000 barrels per day, forming the volume base for Pearl Sweet exports.

Once blended at Kabaale, Pearl Sweet is slated to enter the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a 1,443‑kilometre heated pipeline. The line will transport the crude from Uganda to a marine storage and export terminal near Tanga on Tanzania’s coast.

The pipeline and its associated facilities are reported to be in late-stage completion and commissioning. This positions the export route as a central component of Uganda’s plan to move Pearl Sweet crude to international buyers once production ramps up.

The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) is being positioned to lead marketing efforts for Pearl Sweet on behalf of the state. UNOC will engage with potential buyers and manage crude sales arrangements.

In carrying out this role, UNOC is expected to work alongside project partners involved in the upstream developments, including TotalEnergies EP Uganda and CNOOC Uganda. This coordination is aimed at aligning production, transportation, and marketing for the new export grade.

Published descriptions of Pearl Sweet’s quality provide differing technical ranges. Some reports describe the grade as medium-light, with an API gravity around 28–31 degrees, indicating a relatively lighter crude.

Other accounts, citing the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, present a broader API gravity range of about 17–33 degrees and note waxy characteristics. These varying descriptions underline that Pearl Sweet will be a blended crude whose properties reflect contributions from both Tilenga and Kingfisher fields.