The Democratic Republic of the Congo is moving to revive oil exploration in two long-stalled blocks on Lake Albert, known as Blocks 1 and 2.
The push comes as neighboring Uganda advances its own oil developments and nears completion of infrastructure to export crude from the Albertine Graben. On Sept. 15, Hydrocarbons Minister Acacia Bandubola held a meeting with government officials and representatives of oil companies to discuss the development of the two Congolese blocks, with international expertise also brought in to examine Uganda’s experience.
The roughly 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable resources cited in discussions about the Albertine Graben refer to Uganda’s side of the basin, not confirmed resources in the DRC. Exploration on the Congolese side would have to establish whether commercially viable resources are present.
Uganda’s confirmed petroleum resource base is estimated at about 6.5 billion barrels, of which 1.4 billion to 1.7 billion barrels are considered recoverable. Its Tilenga and Kingfisher developments are expected to reach combined peak production of about 230,000 barrels per day. Commercial production is now expected by June 2027.
Uganda is also nearing completion of the 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will transport crude from Kabaale in Hoima to the Chongoleani Marine Terminal near Tanga, Tanzania. The pipeline was 92.7% complete as of Aug. 31, according to its operator.
Blocks 1 and 2 have faced years of delays over their development. In April 2025, the Congolese government adopted a draft decree establishing a framework for awarding petroleum rights for the two blocks to state-owned SONAHYDROC under a service contract. The move was presented as part of a strategy to restart exploration and increase oil production.
President Félix Tshisekedi has also called for closer cooperation with Uganda over oil resources in the transboundary Lake Albert basin. In August, he instructed the foreign affairs and hydrocarbons ministries to develop a road map for cooperation with Uganda while protecting the DRC’s interests and sovereignty over its natural resources.
