Uganda is sharing its oil and gas quality assurance framework with Tanzania as the neighbouring country moves to strengthen standards governing equipment and services used in petroleum operations.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), together with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), is hosting a delegation from Tanzania comprising officials from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA).
The engagement is centred on Uganda’s Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for oil and gas, which requires equipment and services destined for petroleum exploration and production operations to be verified against applicable standards before they are deployed.
PAU Manager for Health and Safety Joel Tumwebaze said Uganda’s experience could help Tanzania establish a robust quality assurance system for its petroleum sector.
“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,” Tumwebaze said.
The PVoC programme is part of Uganda’s broader effort to ensure that equipment and services used in petroleum operations comply with required standards.
The system is intended to enhance operational safety, protect the environment and strengthen confidence in Uganda’s petroleum sector as the country moves towards oil production.
UNBS Deputy Director for Compliance Deus Mubangizi said the programme provides an additional layer of assurance by checking the conformity of goods and services before they are used in petroleum operations.
“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,” Mubangizi said.
Tanzania is developing a similar mechanism for its upstream petroleum industry and is using Uganda’s experience to inform the design and implementation of its own programme.
The benchmarking visit will also include field tours of Uganda’s major oil and gas projects, allowing the Tanzanian delegation to see how the quality assurance system operates on the ground.
The delegation is expected to visit the Tilenga oil project in Buliisa and Nwoya districts, the Kingfisher project in Kikuube district and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which starts at Kabaale in Hoima district.
TBS Imports and Exports Control Manager Eng. Gervas Kaisi said the practical lessons from Uganda would help Tanzania develop an effective quality control mechanism for its petroleum industry.
“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,” Kaisi said.
PURA Head of Local Content and Stakeholders Engagement Charles Nyangi said quality control was essential to ensuring safe and efficient petroleum operations.
“Strong quality control is essential to safe and efficient oil and gas exploration and production operations. Uganda’s experience offers valuable insights as Tanzania prepares its own framework,” Nyangi said.
The engagement comes as both countries pursue oil and gas developments and seek to strengthen regulatory systems governing the sector.
For Uganda, the PVoC programme is expected to play a role in ensuring that equipment imported for petroleum activities meets required technical and safety standards before being deployed.
The benchmarking exercise also reflects growing cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania in the petroleum sector and wider efforts to harmonise standards across East Africa.
The two countries are seeking to develop petroleum industries that meet international standards while promoting safety, environmental protection and competitiveness.
The visit is therefore expected to provide Tanzania with practical lessons on Uganda’s experience while strengthening regional cooperation in regulating the oil and gas industry.
