The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), together with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), is hosting a benchmarking delegation from Tanzania. The delegation includes officials from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and Tanzania’s Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA).
The engagement is focusing on the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for oil and gas. Under the programme, equipment and services destined for Uganda’s oil and gas exploration and production operations are verified against applicable standards before use.
“Uganda has built a rigorous system to ensure the equipment and services entering the petroleum sector meet the required standards. We are glad to share that experience as Tanzania develops its own,” said Mr Joel Tumwebaze, Manager, Health and Safety, PAU.
The PVoC oil and gas programme forms part of Uganda’s wider framework to ensure that only equipment and services that meet the required standards are used in petroleum operations. It supports operational safety, protects the environment, and strengthens the sector’s credibility as it advances towards production.
“The programme gives assurance that goods and services used in the sector conform to the required standards before they are deployed. This engagement allows us to share the systems we have put in place,” Mr Deus Mubangizi, Deputy Director- Compliance, UNBS, noted.
Tanzania is establishing a comparable mechanism to assure quality control in its own upstream petroleum sector. It is drawing on Uganda’s experience in designing and running the programme.
The visit will also include field tours of Uganda’s oil and gas projects. The delegation will visit Tilenga in Buliisa and Nwoya districts and Kingfisher in Kikuube District. It will also visit the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which begins in Kabaale, Hoima District. The tours give the delegation a chance to see how the quality assurance regime is applied in practice.
“Uganda has developed a practical model for verifying the quality of equipment and services entering the petroleum sector. The lessons from this engagement will help shape how Tanzania builds its own quality assurance mechanism,” said Eng. Gervas Kaisi, Imports and Exports Control Manager, TBS.
Strong quality control is essential to safe and efficient oil and gas exploration and production operations. Uganda’s experience offers valuable insights as Tanzania prepare its own framework,” Mr Charles Nyangi, Head of Local Content and Stakeholders Engagement, PURA added.
The visit reflects the growing cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania. It is part of the wider regional effort to harmonise standards and build safe, competitive and well-regulated petroleum sectors across East Africa.
