state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris

Illegal miners in Mubende are running away from the mining areas following  government’s exercise of registering   local miners in this place in the district.

Gold artisan and small scale gold miners in Mubende who are leaving under fear following alleged presidential directive to evict them from the area are also  now going through registration to separate between illegal foreign and local miners in the area.

Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Peter lokeris, together with  the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Stephen Robert Ishabiija, confirmed the registration of miners in Mubende while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources this week .

The Committee Chaired by Isingiro South MP,  Alex Byarugaba, pinned the Ministry of Energy officials on failure to certify most of Uganda minerals to generate more revenues through giving licenses.

The UPDF representative in parliament Brigadier Innocent Felix Oula said that few of Uganda minerals are certified resulting into Uganda missing out revenue to illegal miners.

Women miners

“We started the exercise of  registration of miners in Mubende and as this is going on,some illegal miners are running away from this place, saying that influx of people in this area had become a security concern,” Loreris said, adding  that; “After this exercise genuine miners will be issued with license to operate legally and this will be taken to all the places with minerals.”

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state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris

Government has assured Ugandans of a stable supply of fuel in the country as Kenyans prepare to go to polls on Tuesday August 08, 2017.

The assurance was given by the state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris, while presenting a statement on fluctuating fuel prices in the country and the state of preparedness in case of fuel supply shortage.

Lokeris says that the current fuel stocks in the country stand at 16 days’ supply of which ten days which amounts to 54 million liters are provided by the private oil marketing companies while the six days are stocked by the government at their storage facilities at Jinja.

Lokeris also says that the supply situation is predicted to remain steady before elections in Kenya and these stocks will be available to mitigate any supply disruption while availing room for mobilization of other stocks through Tanzania.

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oil drilling in western Uganda

Oil prospecting companies led by Tullow oil have confirmed commercially viable oil deposits in Uganda’s Albertan Rift basin, with the issue of the oil refinery and where it is to be constructed among the latest sticking points.

While the government led by President Yoweri Museveni has been in fvaour of constructing a refinery within Uganda to process the oil, Tullow which bought the interests of the other major player, Heritage Oil has been advocating for the construction of an oil pipeline to Mombasa so Uganda’s oil is refined there at sea for easy export.

Speaking at a consultative meeting on petroleum exploration, Lokeris said the government of Uganda has already made the decision to construct the oil refinery at Kabale, Buseruka Sub-county in Hoima district.
He says the government’s decision follows several consultations and research by Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, a UK based firm, which recommended that Uganda had the potential of owning a oil refinery plant.

Lokeris says construction of the oil refinery will start in 2011 and is expected to be completed in three years, and that Uganda is currently sourcing for the huge funds to undertake the task. He says it will cost over 4.6 billion US dollars to construct, 2.05 billion US dollars for the refinery itself, and 2.75 billion US dollars for the processing plant.

The minister says once complete, the oil refinery will produce about 60,000 barrels of oil per day, meeting Uganda’s current 18,000 barrels of oil per day while the surplus will be exported to neighboring countries Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burndi, Southern Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania.

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The post Uganda government decided to construct oil refinery in Hoima first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.