Govt defends oil firm’s community works, announces oil well drilling plans in Rukwa

Defending the oil company, Heritage Rukwa Tanzania, as beneficial to communities in the areas it is working, the government has announced that the firm is to start drilling its first experimental oil well in the Rukwa Rift Basin after successful completion of explorations in the area.

Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Charles Kitwanga revealed the development yesterday in the capital while reacting to a fundamental question by Mbozi-West MP David Silinde (Chadema).


“Oil exploration in Lake Rukwa is scheduled to start sometime soon. How have wananchi surrounding Lake Rukwa benefitted from the oil exploration project,” the MP asked.

“The company offered opportunity to residents near the project area to participate in various activities, creating about 628 employments. About 79m/- was spent in paying salaries and other allowances to employees and part time staffs,” the deputy minister responded.

He said preliminary exploration of oil on both the offshore and onshore of the Lake started in December 2012 through March 2013. He said during the oil explorations in the areas surrounding the Lake were not affected.

In additional, the company had also helped in the improvement of health service delivery through its health lab located in Maleza village.

“Heritage Rukwa Tanzania has continued to provide medicines and other reagents across various village dispensaries in the project area,” he added.

According to him, the company also helped train fishermen and offered education trainings and symposiums to increase villagers’ awareness on the various opportunities associated with oil extraction in the area.

Other than the question of their social responsibility, it is notable that the government statement of the successful exploration and plans to start drilling soon sternly contradict earlier reports that the independent oil and gas exploration and production firm had relinquished its Rukwa North Licence after initial data suggested that the field may not have enough deposits.

No clarifications were offered as to the contradiction.