The licensing process has three main stages namely; Request for Qualification (Prequalification), Request for Proposals (Bidding) and Negotiation. The Manager, Second Licensing Round and the Ag. Commissioner for the Upstream Petroleum Department, Mr Frank Mugisha, says as a way of attracting investors to these blocs, the Energy Ministry is set to embark on promotional roadshows which will be held in the cities of London on 14th October, Houston on 17th October and Dubai on 22nd October 2019.
The roadshows, he says will provide a platform for Government officials to deliver presentations and exhibition on the prospectivity of the blocks, legal and regulatory framework, data availability, commercial and fiscal aspects, requirements for the pre-qualification, among others. Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary, Robert Kasande however, says both Local and International Companies have an opportunity to participate in the Prequalification stage either singlehandedly or through joint ventures provided they submit in their applications before 22nd November 2019.
“The pre-qualified applicants will then be issued with the bidding documents and also required to identify the area (s) of interest,” he said.Kasande adds, “The Second licensing round comes at a time when the country is progressing into field development and production of the already confirmed oil reserves.
”The PS says that the produced oil will be commercialized through the Refinery and East African Crude Oil Pipeline which are both under development.“Therefore, the development and production of any confirmed reserves from the new blocks will find infrastructures and evacuation routes to the markets already in place.