KIKUUBE, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has unveiled “Pearl Sweet” as the official commercial name of Uganda’s crude oil, marking a significant milestone as the country moves closer to producing and exporting its first oil.
President Museveni unveiled the name on Wednesday at the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District, giving Uganda’s crude a distinct identity ahead of its entry into the international petroleum market.
Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), which will play a key role in marketing the country’s crude, confirmed the name shortly after the ceremony.
“Pearl Sweet! Uganda’s crude oil has been named,” UNOC announced.
The naming gives Uganda’s crude a market identity as the country prepares for the start of commercial production from the Albertine Graben.
UNOC Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tony Otoa earlier described the occasion as an important step in Uganda’s oil journey, saying every oil-producing country has a distinct name for its crude.
“Today, Uganda’s crude oil gets its name. This is what will distinguish it from all other crude oils in the world. This is like baptism. Every oil producing country has a distinct name for its oil,” Otoa said.
The name Pearl Sweet reflects Uganda’s identity as the “Pearl of Africa” while also referring to the characteristics of its crude, which is considered light and sweet because of its relatively low sulphur content.
The new commercial identity comes as Uganda’s two major upstream developments—the Kingfisher project operated by CNOOC Uganda Limited and the Tilenga project operated by TotalEnergies—advance towards production.
Kingfisher is expected to produce up to 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while the two projects together are projected to reach peak production of about 230,000 barrels per day.
Once produced, the crude will be transported through the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from western Uganda to the Chongoleani marine terminal near Tanga in Tanzania for export.
The naming therefore comes at a critical point in Uganda’s petroleum development, with the country moving beyond exploration and infrastructure construction towards commercialisation.
The government expects the petroleum sector to generate revenues, attract investment and support broader economic transformation, although the sector has also faced questions over environmental protection, project timelines and the distribution of oil revenues.
For UNOC, the naming of the crude strengthens its commercial role as Uganda’s national oil company prepares to participate in the marketing of the country’s petroleum resources.
The company is expected to work with international buyers and other industry players as Uganda prepares to place its crude on the global market.
With President Museveni unveiling Pearl Sweet, Uganda’s oil has now acquired more than a physical destination—it has acquired a name under which it will eventually be traded.
The next defining moment will be the arrival of Uganda’s first commercial barrel, turning Pearl Sweet from a name unveiled at Kingfisher into a crude grade known in international oil markets.
